Defend Your Wheat Quiz Quiz

Sharpen your understanding of managing pests in wheat fields, covering recognition, prevention, and control strategies vital for healthy crops.

1. Identifying a Common Wheat Pest

   A wheat grower finds small, shiny adult beetles and larvae feeding within the kernels, noticing reduced grain weight at harvest. Which pest is most likely responsible?

   1. Hessian Fly
   2. Russian Wheat Aphid
   3. Granary Weevil
   4. Wheat Stem Sawfly

   Explanation: The granary weevil is known for its larvae feeding inside wheat kernels, causing direct weight loss. Russian wheat aphid and Hessian fly primarily damage leaves and stems, while wheat stem sawfly larvae tunnel inside stems rather than the grain itself.

2. Integrated Pest Management Principle

   Which component is fundamental to an integrated pest management (IPM) approach in wheat cultivation?

   1. Burning crop residues
   2. Routine pesticide spraying
   3. Crop rotation
   4. Exclusive use of resistant wheat varieties

   Explanation: Crop rotation disrupts pest life cycles and reduces their population. Routine pesticide spraying can lead to resistance, burning residues may not target all pests and can be environmentally harmful, and relying solely on resistant varieties is not comprehensive IPM.

3. Biological Control Example in Wheat

   In wheat fields, which biological control method helps manage aphid infestations?

   1. Planting earlier in the season
   2. Introduction of lady beetles
   3. Flooding fields
   4. Applying sulfur dust

   Explanation: Lady beetles are natural predators of aphids and can reduce their population biologically. Flooding is ineffective for wheat, sulfur dust targets fungal diseases, and planting time does not directly control aphids.

4. Signs of Wheat Stem Sawfly Infestation

   A farmer observes lodged (fallen) wheat stems with hollow centers and sawdust-like material inside. What is the likely cause?

   1. Wireworm infestation
   2. Late nitrogen application
   3. Rust disease
   4. Wheat Stem Sawfly larvae

   Explanation: Wheat stem sawfly larvae tunnel within stems, leaving hollow interiors and sawdust frass. Rust is a fungal disease causing orange pustules, wireworms feed on roots not stems, and late nitrogen does not cause hollow stems.

5. Economic Threshold Concept

   What is the purpose of establishing economic thresholds for wheat pesticide applications?

   1. To ensure pesticide applications every month
   2. To apply pesticides only when pest damage will result in economic loss
   3. To prevent any pest presence
   4. To maximize yield regardless of cost

   Explanation: Economic thresholds help growers decide when to use pesticides by weighing pest population levels against cost-effective damage prevention. Maximizing yield at all costs is unsustainable, preventing all pests is unrealistic, and monthly applications disregard actual pest levels.