PSS 021 Exam 2 Questions & Answers
2024/2025
Plant signaling - ANSWERSplant releases defensive chemicals to help defend itself from herbivores
pest management - ANSWERSstrategies to deal with harmful pests in agriculture
chemical control - ANSWERSpesticide-substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing pests
cultural controls - ANSWERSresistant varieties, crop rotation, intercropping, sanitation, phenological
asynchrony
alternatives to pesticides - ANSWERSGE crops, RNA inference, IPM, ecological and sustainable
agriculture, organic farming
biological control (3rd level) - ANSWERSthe use of living organisms to control pests, insects, weeds or
diseases
classical biological control - ANSWERSbio control agent, problem pest species, controls bug establishes
control and kills issue bug
inoculation - ANSWERSsmall numbers of natural enemies when pest population is very low to keep pest
at low numbers. find predator, inoculate, allow take off (specialist bug, PREVENTATIVE)
inundate - ANSWERSlarge numbers of natural enemies for an immediate reduction in pest population.
allow take off, CURATIVE
conservation - ANSWERSmake environment habitable for predators
, predators - ANSWERSbio control agent, kills prey immediately, exist outside prey, usually are larger than
prey. young adults find and consume the prey
parasitoids - ANSWERSbio control agent, kills hosts slowly, has one host per lifetime, exists inside or on
the host, adults find the prey and don't consume, the young consume but don't find
parasites - ANSWERSbio control agent, mostly do not kill prey, have one host per lifetime, exist inside/on
host, smaller than hosts, adults and young feed and often spend entire life on one host
predator characteristics - ANSWERSmostly mostly generalists, will prey on anything that meets certain
criteria. examples: beetles, lacewings, spiders, mites. not the best control agent so will feed on each
other
parasitoid characteristics - ANSWERSmostly specialists, not all, both ___ and prey have developed
defenses to protect themselves through time. effective when properly researched (curative)
pros of generalists - ANSWERScontrol multiple types of pests, don't require high population of pest
cons of generalists - ANSWERSmay not be effective
pathogens - ANSWERSdisease causing organisms
conservation agriculture principles - ANSWERS1.permanent organic soil cover (cover crops) 2.
diversification of crop species grown in sequences (time/place)
3. low tillage
organic agriculture - ANSWERSrotating crops, managing pests naturally, diversifying crop and livestock,
improving soil with compost and manures
agroecology - ANSWERSresponse science, transdisciplinary, engages social sciences and broader
agro/food system, roots in ecology and agronomy, reflection and action, participatory from different
players
