Maize Defender Quiz Quiz

Assess your knowledge of effective pest management strategies essential for safeguarding maize crops against major threats. This quiz covers common pests, control methods, and integrated approaches in maize agriculture.

1. Identifying Maize Pests

   Which pest is recognized for causing extensive tunneling in maize stems, resulting in weakened plants and yield loss?

   1. Red spider mite
   2. Stem borer
   3. Bean aphid
   4. Armyworm

   Explanation: Stem borers are notorious for tunneling into maize stems, disrupting nutrient flow and reducing plant strength. Red spider mites attack leaves rather than stems. Bean aphids typically infest legumes rather than maize. Armyworms feed on leaves but do not bore into stems.

2. Best Practices in Pest Monitoring

   What is the primary benefit of scouting maize fields regularly for pests such as fall armyworm throughout the growing season?

   1. It guarantees a pest-free harvest
   2. It eliminates the need for any pesticides
   3. It improves soil fertility directly
   4. Early detection enables timely management actions

   Explanation: Scouting allows farmers to discover infestations promptly and respond before pests cause major damage. While it helps prevent losses, it cannot guarantee a pest-free crop. Scouting does not eliminate pesticide use nor does it impact soil fertility.

3. Cultural Control Methods

   Which of the following cultural practices can reduce the risk of pest persistence in maize fields from one season to the next?

   1. Planting maize in the same field every season
   2. Applying chemical fertilizers late in the season
   3. Irrigating fields frequently
   4. Removing and destroying crop residues after harvest

   Explanation: Destroying crop residues removes habitat for overwintering pests, thereby reducing their numbers in the following season. Continuous monoculture can increase pest pressure. Fertilization and irrigation address nutrient and water needs, not pest carryover.

4. Chemical Control Decisions

   When considering chemical control for maize pests, what is an important factor a farmer should assess before spraying?

   1. How recently it has rained
   2. Whether pest populations exceed economic thresholds
   3. The price of maize at market
   4. Availability of new seed varieties

   Explanation: Spraying is recommended only if pest levels surpass thresholds that justify the cost of control. Market price and seed variety do not determine need for pesticide application, and recent rainfall affects efficacy but is not the primary factor.

5. Biological Control in Maize

   Which example illustrates biological control in the management of maize pests?

   1. Planting maize at a higher density
   2. Plowing fields to expose pupae
   3. Introducing parasitic wasps to control stem borer
   4. Spraying herbicides to kill weeds

   Explanation: Biological control involves using living organisms like predators or parasitoids to reduce pest populations. Herbicides target weeds, plowing is cultural control, and altering plant density affects competition, not direct biological pest control.