Explore essential knowledge about identifying and managing major sucking pests on chili crops. Perfect for medium-level learners in agricultural pest management.
In a chili field, you notice small, sap-sucking insects clustered on the underside of leaves, causing curling and yellowing. Which pest is most likely responsible?
Explanation: Aphids are common sucking pests on chili, recognized by their clustering and the leaf distortion they cause. Fruit borers eat the fruit rather than suck sap. Cutworms are soil pests that cut seedlings at the base. Grasshoppers chew on leaves, not suck sap.
Which visible symptom strongly indicates thrips infestation on chili plants?
Explanation: Thrips feeding results in silvery or bronze streaks on leaves due to their sucking action. Bored holes indicate fruit borers. Chewed margins are the sign of chewing pests like beetles or grasshoppers. Wilting seedlings is more typical of soil-borne pathogens or cutworms.
If you observe sticky honeydew deposits and sooty mold development on chili leaves, which pest is most likely to blame?
Explanation: Whiteflies excrete honeydew which promotes sooty mold growth on leaves. Red spider mites cause leaf bronzing but don't produce honeydew. Armyworms and pod borers are chewing pests, not sucking insects, and do not create honeydew.
What is a recommended cultural practice for managing aphids in chili crops?
Explanation: Removal of infested debris reduces aphid breeding sources. Pheromone traps target lepidopteran species, not sucking pests. Flood irrigation is ineffective against above-ground pests like aphids. Sticky light traps are not effective for aphids compared to yellow sticky traps.
Which natural enemy is most effective in controlling sucking pests such as aphids and whiteflies in chili farming?
Explanation: Ladybird beetles prey directly on aphids and whiteflies, reducing their populations. Parasitic nematodes are more effective against soil pests. Earwigs may feed on some pests but not primarily sucking types. Harlequin bugs are themselves pests, not beneficials.