Pest Management & Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Flashcards
7 cards from real CAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pest Management & Integrated Pest Management (IPM) flashcards as text
What is the primary goal of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
Answer: Manage pests to economically acceptable levels using multiple strategies while minimizing risks
IPM aims to keep pest populations below economically damaging thresholds using a combination of cultural, biological, physical, and chemical tactics to minimize environmental and health risks.
The Economic Threshold (ET) in pest management is defined as the pest density at which:
Answer: Control actions must be taken to prevent pest populations from reaching the Economic Injury Level
The Economic Threshold is the pest population level at which management action should be initiated to prevent the pest from reaching the Economic Injury Level (EIL), where losses equal control costs.
Which type of pest scouting method involves walking a field in a specific pattern to obtain representative pest population samples?
Answer: Systematic transect scouting
Systematic transect scouting involves walking predetermined paths (transects) across a field to collect unbiased, representative samples of pest populations.
A Certified Agricultural Consultant finds aphid populations at 250 per plant on winter wheat. The economic threshold is 300 per plant. What is the most appropriate recommendation?
Answer: Continue monitoring closely as populations are below the economic threshold
Since the population (250/plant) is below the economic threshold (300/plant), the correct action is to continue scouting to track whether populations will rise to the action level.
Which of the following is an example of a cultural pest management practice?
Answer: Rotating crops to disrupt pest life cycles
Crop rotation is a cultural practice that disrupts the habitat and food supply of host-specific pests, reducing population buildup over successive seasons.
What does the term 'action threshold' mean in the context of IPM decision-making?
Answer: The pest population density or damage level that triggers a management response
An action threshold is the pest population level or amount of damage at which a management action (such as pesticide application) should be initiated to prevent economic injury.
Pheromone traps used in IPM programs are primarily used to:
Answer: Monitor pest population activity and determine timing of management interventions
Pheromone traps attract target insects using synthetic sex or aggregation pheromones and are primarily used to monitor pest presence, flight activity, and population trends to guide management timing.