Assess your understanding of pest management strategies, identification, and control measures for common pests affecting cumin crops. Learn best practices and common misconceptions in cumin pest control.
Which insect is considered the primary pest responsible for significant yield loss in cumin crops due to its feeding on floral parts?
Explanation: Thrips are the major pests in cumin, causing distortion and damage to floral parts which leads to reduced yields. Aphids suck sap but generally cause less severe floral damage. Spider mites cause stippling on leaves, and cutworms usually attack seedlings at soil level rather than flowers.
If cumin plants show silvery streaks on leaves with black specks and reduced flowering, which pest should a farmer suspect?
Explanation: Thrips feeding results in silvery streaks and tiny black fecal spots, alongside reduced flower production. Root-knot nematode causes root galls, leaf miners create tunnels in leaves, and armyworms chew large sections of foliage but do not leave silvery patches.
Which agricultural practice most effectively reduces the risk of thrips infestation in cumin fields?
Explanation: Timely sowing and removing plant debris lower thrips populations by breaking their breeding cycle. Excessive irrigation can worsen fungal diseases. Regular urea application does not control pests, and sunflower planting does not reduce thrips in cumin.
When should a farmer consider applying insecticides for thrips management in cumin?
Explanation: Effective chemical control involves spraying at early flowering and only if thrips populations reach the economic threshold, minimizing unnecessary pesticide use. Spraying after rain or at harvest is ineffective; yellowing leaves may be caused by other factors.
Which option lists a natural enemy that can help suppress thrips populations in cumin agroecosystems?
Explanation: Predatory mites feed on thrips and aid in natural pest suppression. Rice weevils and bollworm larvae are themselves crop pests, and snails do not prey on insects, so only predatory mites assist in thrips management.