1. WEEDS, BUGS AND OTHER PEST

2. Vertebrate Pest: organisms with backbones Includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Most damaging to crops are birds and mammals Birds: harbor pathogens Eat or damage crops Damage buildings Too much damage

3. Rodents: mammals that interfere with people or cause harm to crops. Any animal out of place: deer, dogs, livestock Pest: Rats, mice, squirrels, rock chucks moles

4. Insects Insects need food and we share the food chain with them We consider them the enemy because they want what we want Insects are our chief rival for the world’s food supply Most of the damage done to plants is directly or indirectly from their attempts to secure food. Some insects prefer living tissue while others prefer dead.

5. Beneficial Insects: insects that help mankind by pollinating, providing food and other helpful materials.

6. Ways that insects harm plants: Chewing of plant parts-leaves, roots, stems, bark, flowers or fruit. Sucking sap from plant parts Boring holes between the surfaces of leaves or other plant parts Laying eggs in some parts of the plant Using parts of plants for their shelter or nests Carrying other insects to the plant and establishing them there. Allowing disease pathogens entrance to the plant by inflicting wounds and openings.

7. Poisonous Insects

8. Insect Anatomy and Development Every insect has an exoskeleton-protection and support The exoskeleton is divided into three areas: head, thorax, abdomen The antenna are located at the head and act as sensory organs Three pairs of legs are attached at the thorax Wings (1 or 2 pairs) are present in most species and provide ease of mobility. Mouths are designed for either chewing or sucking Metamorphosis: insect growth process Two types: gradual and complete Gradual metamorphosis consist of three life stages: egg, nymph and adult. Complete metamorphosis consist of four life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult

9. Complete Metamorphosis Gradual Metamorphosis

10. Insect Control Four types: physical, cultural, biological and chemical Physical control: direct removal of insects by interrupting their physiological processes, prevention of entry into an area or physically destroying them with machinery. Light at night interrupts insect behavior High temperatures can kill insects in stored grain Low temperatures prevent insect attacks on fur and fabric Aluminum foil, screens, trenches, sticky bands, and traps can be used as barriers to keep insects out. Cultural control: prevents pest damage Use crop rotation to interrupt the insect’s food supply Till the soil and remove crop residue to reduce food supply Plant early or later to lessen the amount of food available when insects are in the larval stages. Use resistant varieties and strains of plants Destroy weeds that may act as a host plant or shelter for I insects

11. Biological Control: the use of other insects or pathogens to control insects. Some parasites deposit eggs on their victim-the larva then consumes the pest and then the adult parasite emerges from the insect mummy. Or predator insects kill and consume the pest insects. Spotted alfalfa controlled by a parasitic wasp Purple scale of oranges controlled by wasp Assassin bugs suck life fluids from pink boil worms Lady bird beetles and their larvae eat aphids Vedalia beetles have been imported from Australia to control cottony-cushion scale in California and Florida citrus. Pathogens can also be used to control insect pest. Bacteria Bascillus thuringiensis kills butterfly and moth larva Use of spores of brown, red and yellow fungi to control scale on Florida citrus.

12. Pesticides Pesticide: a substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals.  Today, using pesticides is very controversial and some are completely against it while others say that today’s agriculture will not survive without it.  Agriculture is charged with feeding the world. Must produce more and more with less and less land to do it on.  With EPA looking over the grower’s shoulder, the benefits of using pesticide far out weigh the risks.  Increase in crop quantity and quality are two of the major benefits of using pesticides.

13. A little History…  Sulfur and arsenic were two of the first elements used for pesticide.  The Chinese combined these elements to make an arsenic- sulfide chemical compound and used it as pest control compound.  Inorganic Compounds (do not contain carbon) were used until the late 1930’s.  Organic Compounds (contain carbon) are mostly produced synthetically.  Three major types of pesticides: herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is charged with research, deployment and management of ALL pesticides and licensing applicators.

14. Herbicides  Herbicide: a substance or preparation for killing plants, especially weeds.  Several different types that are grouped according to application method, type of control and chemical structure.  Selective Herbicides: selectively kills or effects only a certain type or groups of plants.  Different herbicide chemistry, formulation and concentration  Different plant age, structure, growth rate and plant physiology  Environmental differences such as temperature, rainfall and soil type  Some examples:  Grass killer  Broadleaf killer

15.  Nonselective Herbicides: a herbicide that kills all plants. Examples would include ground sterilants.  Contact Herbicides: herbicides that can only effect what they come in contact with. These are simple herbicides that are used to control annual weeds.  Systemic Herbicides: moves through the plant to kill from the inside out. Effectively kills the whole plant.  Preemergence Herbicides: Applied before weed or crop seeds germinate.  Postemergene Herbicides: Applied after the weed or crop is actively growing.

16. Chemical Families of Herbicides  Chemical Herbicides: chemicals used to control weeds.  Grouped by the way the chemicals adversely effect plant growth…or mode of action.  Acetanilides: interfere with cell division and protein synthesis.  Preemergent or preplant application  Used to control annual grasses and some annual broadleaf weeds.  Dinitroanilines: act on root tissue, preventing root development in seedling plants.  Preemergent application to prevent germination  This should be incorporated into soil  Phenoxys: over-stimulates growth.  Postemergent for broadleaf weeds in grasses  Triazines: photosynthetic inhibitor.  Preemergent application  Used on annual and broadleaf weeds

17. Insecticides  Chemicals used to control insects  Classification is based on chemical structure and/or mode of action  Botanical, inorganic and oil insecticides are the three types.  Chemical example is sulfur, is used to control mites. Discovered thousands of years ago.  Botanical example for pesticide by inhibiting respiratory metabolism and nerve transmission is Rotenone. This is found in the roots of certain legumes. It acts as a contact and stomach poison. Used with vegetables to kill several types of insects.  Oils are highly refined oils used mostly in trees.  These oils basically suffocate  Use started in citrus orchards  Synthetic insecticides are man-made to effect nervous systems  Many of these are outlawed for use in US due to effect on humans  Many still used today but the rules of application are strictly enforced and precautions must be taken to be sure humans are not effected.

18. Fungicides  Chemicals used to control plant diseases caused by fungi  Protectant Fungicide  Applied before disease infection  Provides a chemical barrier between the host plant and the fungi pores  Must be reapplied to stay effective  Eradicant Fungicide  Applied after the infection happens  Works systemically and travels through the plant to the infection  Last longer then protectant fungicides  Chemical Structure  Inorganic: Elements used for fungicide. Sulfur, copper, mercury, cadmium and mixtures of these.  Organic: Products used that are effective but have minimal effect on the environment.