Concept Area: Scientific Method of Pest Control

Activity 2

Analyze the reading card and answer the questions given below.

As pests acquire resistance to chemical pesticides, the quantity of chemical pesticides has to be increased. Excessive application of chemical pesticides causes many environmental and health issues. Adopting integrated pest management methods helps control pests without disturbing the environment and health. The basic principle of Integrated Pest Management is not the destruction of pests entirely; instead, it tries to prevent the multiplication of pests and limit their number without loss of crops. This is done by using biopesticides, natural enemies of the pests, mechanical pest control methods, etc. Here, the use of chemical pesticides has been minimized.

A conversation between two farmers is given below. Analyze it and answer the questions.

Farmer 1: I use chemical pesticides for pest control.

Farmer 2: I depend on natural enemies of pests instead.

Questions:

i) Whose pest control method is more suitable for the environment? Why?

ii) What are the problems created by the pest control method of the other farmer?

Integrated Pest Management, used by Farmer 2, is more environmentally friendly as it utilises natural enemies of pests and reduces the need for hazardous chemical pesticides. Farmer 1's method, using chemical pesticides, leads to environmental and health issues.

Explanation:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a more environmentally friendly method for controlling pests. This is because it uses ecological methods, like utilizing the natural enemies of pests and biologically-bred pesticides which are less harmful to the ecosystem. Farmer 2, who depends on the natural enemies of pests, is adopting a method which is more suitable to the environment due to this reason.

The pest control method of Farmer 1, who uses chemical pesticides, can lead to many problems. Some of the key issues are environmental pollution, the increased resistance of pests to these pesticides prompting the need for higher quantities, and potential health hazards for humans and non-target organisms.

Learn more about Integrated Pest Management here:

brainly.com/question/33717856

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