Easy Tips on How To Control Pest And Disease Crops

Easy tips on how to control pest and disease Crops in your farmland .

Pest is best described as any organism  capable of causing damage to a crop plant . Many people who venture into plant agriculture  encounter different kinds of pest and disease Crops.

Easy Tips on How To Control Pest And Disease Crops

However crop pest are divided mainly into six types which includes  : Man , Rodent , Monkeys , Birds , insect and Nematodes.

ALSO READ : Beautiful Photos From The Renovated Enugu International Airport

Most country do practice farming ,this is a carefully ways to eliminate pest and disease Crops.

Easy Tips on How To Control Pest And Disease Crops

Amoung the aforementioned  types of crop pest , Insect pest is the most dangerous amoung all . Insect pest are also of three different types

classifications of Insect pest 

These can be classified into three groups  based on their mode of feeding . These group of insect of insect pest include : Bitting and Chewing insects, piercing and sucking insects and Lastly  Boring insect.

1. Bitting and Chewing insects:

These insect pest possess a very strong mandible an maxmillae ( mouth part) which enable them to bite and chew plants part causing damage to the affected plant . Examples of these Bitting and Chewing insects includes : Termites, grasshoppers,leaf worms, army worms, mantis ,locusts and beetles.

2. piercing and sucking insects :

These class of insect possess strong mouth – part called proboscis which enable them to Pierce through plant and suck the liquid materials from the plant tissues.

Examples of these piercing and sucking insects in farm plant includes , Aphids , Cotton stainers, mealybugs, scale insects, capsid’s or mirids and white flies.

3. Boring insects :

These insects includes their larve , are capable of Boring into plant oarrand destroy the tissues of the plant , fruits or seeds. Boring insects includes , Bean beetles, stem borers, maize weevils and rice weevils.

Effect of Insect pest 

* Insect pest destroy crops I. The field through their Bitting, chewing, sucking, Boring and defoliation activities.

*They cause reduction in the viability of stored produce.

* Site of injuries by insects may predicspose crops to disease attack.

*They Increase cost of production during the course of controlling them.

*The profits of farmers are automatically reduced.

*They can also cause total death of crop plant

*They render vegetables and fruits unattractive and unmarketable.

* They generally reduce the yield of crops.

*Some are carriers or vectors of diseases

*They reduce the quality of produce wither in the store or in the field

prevention And Control Of pests

Crop pests cans be prevented or controlled through the following methods: chemical control , biological control, cultural control and physical control.

*Physical control involves the physical removal of pest by handpicking of insect and larvae, setting traps to catch rodents, shooting rodents with gun and fencing round the farm yard with wire.

* Cultural control involves the use of farm practice to prevent or control pests especially on the field, example of cultural control includes : Bush fallowing , crop rotation , regular weeding, proper timing of planting  bush burning then proper time for harvesting.

* Biological control involves the introduction of the natural enemies of pests to  control or keep the pest population under control. Such enemies eat up or feed on the pest thereby reducing the population of the pest .

* Chemical control is mostly use by farmers which involves the use of chemicals called pesticides to control pest of crop plant. These chemicals which are in form of powder, liquid , granules and tablets are used on the insects by various method like spraying or dusting seeds or plant to check pest. Examples of chemicals are :

Pesticides — chemical to control pests

Insecticides — chemical to control insects

Rodenticides– Chemical to Control Rodents

Avicides — chemical to control birds

Nematicides– chemical to control Nematodes

Disease Crops

Disease Crops is the departure or deviation of the plant from the normal state of health , presenting marked symptoms or outward visible signs.

Disease of Crops are caused by the following agents which includes :

* Viruses

* Bacteria

* Fungi

*Nematodes

* Nutrient deficiency

General Effect Of Disease On Crops Production

Disease causes a lot of damage to crops and their effect are as follows :

* Diseases generally reduces the yield or productivity of crops

* They also reduce the quality of crops

*They cause the malformation of plants

* They can kill or cause the death of plant

*They also cause reduction in the income of the farmer

*They Increase the cost of production in the course of controlling them

*They render vegetables and fruits  unattractive and unmarketable

*Their activities cause retarded growth in crop plants

General Control Of Plant Disease

Diseases of crop plants can be Controlled through cultural control, biological control, and chemical control

1 . Cultural Control :

Cultural Control involves the use of crop rotation, resistant varieties ,tillage practices, regular weeding , fallowing, timely planting, pruning uprotting, burning of infected crops to control or prevent disease s.

2 . Chemical control : 

Chemical Control involves the use of chemicals such as fungicides, nematicides–, insecticides to dust or spray on plant and plant materials in order to prevent or control plant disease.

3 . Biological control :

Biological control involves the use of natural enemies of the disease to reduce or totally eliminate the disease.

Summary Of General Control Measures Of Diseases Of Crops

*  Regular weeding of the farm to prevent disease pathogens from being  haboard  by weeds

* Practise crop rotation.

*Removal and burning of infected crops

*Planting disease resistant varieties of crops

*Using healthy seeds or stems for propagation

*Practice seed dressing with plant protection chemicals such as Fernasan D before planting

* Spraying plant protection chemicals such as fungicides and nematicides–

* Early planting to avoid the period of disease occurrence.

*Spraying insecticides to control the insects vectors .

*Destruction of crop residue after harvesting to prevent the build – up of disease pathogens or practice goodfarm sanitation or hygiene.

*Sterilisation of soil to control soil – borne diseases

*Avoid close  planting to reduce the rate of spread of diseases.

*Quarantine of imported seeds and plants before their introduction into the country

* Timely Harvesting to reduce the period of exposure

Follow us for more updates !!