Explore the essential strategies and facts about managing chilli pests in horticulture with this medium-difficulty quiz. Sharpen your knowledge of practical pest control methods, pest identification, and integrated management for robust chilli crops.
A chilli farmer notices silvery patches and curling leaves on his crop, which are classic symptoms caused by which chilli pest?
Explanation: Thrips are known to cause silvery stippling and curling on leaves as they feed by rasping the leaf surface. Fruit borer typically causes holes in fruits, aphids often lead to sticky honeydew and yellowing, and whiteflies mainly cause yellow mottling and sooty mold, not silvery patches.
Which cultural practice can significantly reduce initial thrips infestation in chilli fields?
Explanation: Crop rotation disrupts the life cycles of pests like thrips by breaking host continuity, reducing pest buildup. Overhead irrigation may help temporarily dislodge pests but does not prevent infestations. Late or deep planting can stress chilli plants and may not directly reduce thrips pressure.
To naturally manage chilli thrips, introducing which beneficial insect offers effective biocontrol?
Explanation: Minute pirate bugs are effective predators of thrips, feeding on both larvae and adults. Ladybird beetles and green lacewings primarily target aphids and other soft-bodied insects, not thrips. Stem borer is a pest, not a beneficial species.
To delay insecticide resistance development in chilli pests, what is the recommended spraying practice?
Explanation: Rotating insecticides with varied modes of action exposes pests to different control mechanisms, reducing resistance risk. Repeated use of the same product accelerates resistance. Timing of spraying and water volume do not address the resistance issue directly.
What is the first step in implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for chilli crops?
Explanation: Accurate monitoring and identification help select suitable control measures and prevent unnecessary actions. Applying pesticides is done only when necessary, early harvest does not control pests directly, and fertilizer overuse can make plants more attractive to some pests.