Green Gram Pest Busters Quiz Quiz

Challenge your understanding of effective pest management strategies for green gram crops. This quiz covers identification, control methods, and best practices crucial for healthy yields.

1. Identifying Major Pests

   Which insect pest is known for causing the most extensive leaf damage in green gram due to its larvae feeding on the foliage?

   1. Red hairy caterpillar
   2. Aphid
   3. Whitefly
   4. Pod borer

   Explanation: The red hairy caterpillar larvae feed voraciously on green gram leaves, leading to rapid defoliation. Pod borers mainly affect pods and seeds, not foliage. Aphids and whiteflies suck plant sap and transmit diseases, but they do not typically cause as much direct leaf loss as the caterpillar.

2. Chemical Control Precautions

   When applying insecticides to manage thrips in green gram fields, what is the most important safety practice farmers should follow?

   1. Apply insecticide at noon
   2. Avoid spraying during flowering
   3. Wear protective clothing
   4. Mix insecticides with fertilizers

   Explanation: Wearing protective clothing reduces the risk of pesticide exposure and related health hazards. Spraying can be timed for pest management; noon is usually avoided due to heat and evaporation. Mixing insecticides with fertilizers is not generally advised as it can reduce efficacy or cause phytotoxicity.

3. Biological Control Understanding

   Which biological agent is commonly released in green gram fields to control pod borer populations naturally?

   1. Spider mite
   2. Lady beetle
   3. Neem oil
   4. Trichogramma wasp

   Explanation: Trichogramma wasps parasitize pod borer eggs, preventing larvae development. Lady beetles target aphids, not pod borers. Spider mites are pests, not beneficial agents. Neem oil is a botanical pesticide, not a biological agent.

4. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

   How does crop rotation help reduce pest outbreaks in green gram farming?

   1. Provides more water to crops
   2. Interrupts pest life cycles
   3. Increases soil acidity
   4. Attracts predatory insects

   Explanation: Rotating crops disrupts pest breeding cycles by removing continuous host availability. It does not directly affect soil acidity, is not practiced solely to attract predators, and has no direct impact on crop irrigation.

5. Economic Threshold Level

   Why is it important to monitor pest numbers and apply control measures only when populations exceed the economic threshold level in green gram?

   1. Reduces crop growth
   2. Prevents unnecessary pesticide use
   3. Increases weed infestation
   4. Promotes pest resistance

   Explanation: Applying controls only when pest numbers surpass the economic threshold helps avoid unnecessary spraying, saving costs and reducing resistance. Spraying too early does not promote resistance by itself, nor does monitoring pests reduce growth or increase weeds.