AGRI 31 LAB EXAM 2

• Pests are among the biotic components of the agroecosystems that affect crop production.
• Crop pests are classified as invertebrate (insects, mites, and mollusks), vertebrate animals (rodents, birds, bats, monkeys, even humans), weeds, and pathogens.
• These pests damage crops in various ways from seed store and throughout the growing season to harvest and post-harvest.
• The extent of damage is dependent on the type of pest, the time and duration of pest occurrence, pest population density, crop growth stage, crop genetics, cultural management practices, and prevailing environmental conditions.
• In terms of host preference, insect herbivores and pathogens could either be a generalist or specialist.
• These pests damage crops in various ways and consequently reduce yields.
• Some of them directly damage the leaves, stems, roots, and branches of crops and impair physiological processes such as photosynthesis, absorption of water and nutrients, translocation of assimilates, and transpiration.
• Some of them compete with crops for resources needed for establishment and growth such as water, nutrients, sunlight, and CO2.
• Others completely kill seedlings of crops.
• Worldwide pre-harvest crop losses due to pests have been estimated to be about 30%.
• Pests are among the constraints to higher crop yields.
• Unless deliberate efforts are made to minimize these losses, optimum crop yields may not be sustained.
• Banana corm weevil, Cosmopolitus sordidus (Piercing-sucking) is an insect pest of banana.
• Fruit fly of mango, Bactrocera dorsalis (Piercing-sucking and sponging) is an insect pest of mango.
• Corn Insect Pests include Asiatic corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Larva:Chewing; Adult: Piercing-sucking), and corn seedling maggot, Antherigona oryzae (Larva: Chewing).
• Coconut Insect Pests include coconut scale insect, Aspidiotus rigidus / Aspidiotus destructor (Specialized sucking mouthparts), and coconut caterpillar, Spilostethus pandurus (Piercing-sucking).
• Dead heart D is the symbol for the insect pest, White ear 3, Black Armyworm/ African Armyworm, Spodoptera exempta (Walker) (Chewing).
• Rice bug, Leptocorisa oratorius (Piercing-sucking) is an insect pest of rice.
• Banana aphids, Pentalonia nigronervosa (Piercing-sucking) are an insect pest of banana.
• Black bean aphid, Aphis craccivora (Piercing-sucking) is an insect pest of mungbean.
• Rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (Piercing-sucking) is a stored rice grain pest.
• Fruit fly of cucurbits, Daucus cucurbitae (Piercing-sucking and sponging) is an insect pest of cucurbits.
• Maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Chewing) is a major pest of corn in storage in all warm and tropical parts of the world.
• Pako or edible ferns (Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw.) are a tasty addition to salads and are a good source of calcium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin B.
• Pansit-pansitan (Peperomia pellucida) is another edible weed.
• Studies have shown that pako or edible ferns have antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulative, antidiabetic, immunosuppressive properties.
• Borbotak or painter’s brush weed (Crassocephalum crepidioides Linn.) can be added to young corn and mongo soups.
• Wild spinach, Oray, Uray (Amaranthus sp), is cooked as a vegetable, with the ashes from leaves as the source of lihiya for cooking glutinous rice or suman sa lihiya, otherwise known as sumang yakap.
• Edible weeds include: Talinum (Talinum fruticosum), also known as fameflower, Philippine spinach or waterleaf.
• Botanically speaking, weeds are plants and some of these considered weeds are also fit for human consumption.
• Weeds can also serve other purposes such as alternate hosts of pathogens and bio-energy crops.
• Lupo lupo, a weed that grows in plowed-over areas and is used as a vegetable to go with fish and crustaceans on Panay island, is also edible.
• Capability to recognize the major pests in economic crops and their corresponding damage or symptoms is the first requirement in effective pest management.
• The pest became economically damaging at a certain point in time and existing effective means of control against the pest can be discussed.
• The pest (common and scientific name), its biological life cycle and host range if any, can be identified and the pest's importance can be discussed.
• Locust ( Schistocerca gregaria ), Golden Apple Snail ( Pomacea canaliculate & Pomacea maculate ), Coconut Scale Insect ( Aspidiotus rigidus / Aspidiotus destructor ), Fall Army Worm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ), Rice Weevil ( Sitophilus oryzae ), Brown Plant Hopper ( Nilaparvata lugens ), Fusarium wilt in Banana ( Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense, Foc TR4), Citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing), Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) can be discussed as historical pest outbreaks in the Philippines.
• The characteristic damage or symptoms of different pests can be identified and features of the pests can be described.
• Sustainable management systems can be devised to suit different regions and catchment areas by studying the impact of various methods.
• Identification and description of crop pests can be done by drawing plant or plant parts showing the damage or symptoms of selected diseases, insects and weeds.
• The Irish Famine in 1845 - 1849 is largely attributed to a fungal pathogen, Phytophthora infestans (Irish lumper) that causes potato blight or Irish damp - off.