WEEK QUARTER 3: Apply Pest Control

1 Measure According to Specific Pest

Control Measure and OHS Procedures

Control of insect pests and diseases

Insects and their characteristic:

Pests in any form are the farmers’ enemy and they cause enormous damage to
their crops. Most often, pests spell the difference between high and little or no
harvest at all. The quantity and quality of harvests are impaired through
the production of smaller products, a change in the taste and smell,
discoloration of the plant, and even the presence of insects in the plants. The
quantity and quality of production do not only depend on the skill of the farmer,
but also the farmer’s knowledge of how to control pests.

Concepts and facts about insects

Concepts:
An insect is a very small animal with particular characteristics.
Insects are invertebrates. They have no backbone.
Most insects walk, but some can fly and jump.
Insects need water, air, and food to live.
Facts:
Most insects have five basic physical characteristics
Insects possess an exoskeleton or a hard, shell-like covering on the
outside of its body.
Insects have three main body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen.
Insects have a pair of antennae on top of their heads.
Insects have three pairs of legs. They use the legs for walking, but
sometimes an insect may have a pair of legs that are specially designed
for jumping.
Insects have two pairs of wings.
Some insects are helpful to people and some are not.

How does an insect grow?

Knowledge of the life cycle of the insects is important in the
development of control measures that do not rely on applying pesticides.
Injury caused by insects is greatest at certain stages of their development.

The Egg
The larval stage of an insect is the most destructive. Most damage is
done to crops at this stage. The larvae grow from almost microscopic
size when hatched. Larvae are ravenous eaters. When full size has been
attained, the larvae either spin a cocoon or build a shell around them and
go to a resting stage.
The Pupa
The pupa is the rest period of the insect. The pupa develops into an
adult.

The Adult
A mature adult emerges from the pupa. At this stage, the adult insect
will lay eggs again to continue the cycle.

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly (Complete Metamorphosis)

In other insects, such as grasshoppers and aphids, the young insect

(nymph) looks like the parent when hatched. It sheds its exoskeleton
several times, as it grows.
INGO (2005).
Ways How Insects Damage Plants
1. By chewing
Insects feed by chewing some portions of the plant like leaves, stems,
flowers, and fruits. They have horn-like jaws, which they use
for biting and chewing. Grasshoppers, caterpillars, grubs, and beetles
are examples of these insects.
2. By sucking
Insects also nourish themselves by sucking plant juices and nectar.
These are
characterized by sharp, slender, hollow beaks, which they insert under
the surface
of plants to suck their juices. This mouth part is called the
proboscis. San Jose
scales, aphids, plant lice, squash bugs, and other tree bugs are sucking
insects.

3. By lapping
Mouthparts of these insects enable them to lap or lick liquids from the
outer surfaces of objects on which they feed. Apple maggots and cherry
fruit flies are examples of lapping insects.

Methods of Controlling Pest

Insects are enemies of farmers. According to Reyes (1977), there are several
methods of controlling insects. These are:

1. Applied Control. This is a measure to destroy insects.

Agriculturists have found the following methods to be effective.

Chemical Control - This refers to the destruction of insect pests

through the use of chemicals, such as pesticides and insecticides.
This method is not environmentally friendly in the sense that it may
kill other beneficial insects and possibly harm other living things like
animals and men.

A. Insecticides. These substances kill insects by their chemical action.

Stomach poisons are spray, dust, or dips that kill the insect when it
is swallowed.
Contact poisons are spray, dust, or dips that kill the insects
without being swallowed.
Fumigants are chemicals in the form of a gas to kill insects and
are usually applied in an enclosure of some kind.

B. Auxiliary, synergistic or supplemental substances are materials

added to spray or dust which are not primarily toxicant but which
make the insecticide cover more economically; stick or adhere
better to plants; spread over foliage, fruits, or the bark, or the bodies
of the insects more quickly or completely; bring insecticidal
substances into solution or emulsions; mask distasteful or
repellent properties of insecticides, or activate the chemical action of
the toxicant.
Carriers such as water in a spray, talc in the dust, or bran in
poison bait
Emulsifiers such as flours, calcium, and blood albumen
Stickers such as lime, resin, and glue
Spreaders like wetting agents and detergents
Stabilizers such as caustic soda, glue, gelatin

C. Attractants or attrahents. These are substances used in poison

baits, spray, or dust to induce the insects to eat the poisoned materials
or to lure insects into traps.

D. Repellants are substances that keep insects away from crops and
animals
because of their offensive appearance, odor, or taste.

2. Mechanical and Physical Control. These special operations kill

insects by physical and mechanical action. Mechanical measures refer
to the operation of machinery or the application of manual
operations. This is done in the following ways:
manipulation of water or humidity by draining, dehydrating, or
flooding the breeding media
manipulation of temperature like burning
use of electric shock
use of light and other radiant energy
use of sound waves.

3. Cultural Control or Use of Farm Practices. Regular farm

operations are performed to destroy insects or prevent their injuries.
Rotating crop
Tilling of the soil
Varying the time or method of planting or harvesting
Destroying crop residues, weeds, volunteer plants, and trash
 Using resistant varieties
Pruning, thinning
Fertilizing and stimulating vigorous growth

4. Biological Control. This is the introduction, encouragement, and

artificial
increase of predaceous and parasitic insects.
Protection and encouragement of insectivorous birds and
other animals
The use of growing plants to destroy, repel or prevent damage by
insects

5. Legal Control. This is the eradication of insects by controlling

human activities.
Inspection and quarantine laws prevent the introduction of
new pests from foreign countries or their spread within a country.
Isolation and quarantine are government policies to protect the public,
plants, and animals by preventing exposure to infected or potentially
infected persons, plants, and animals.
In general, isolation refers to the separation of persons, plants,
animals, and the like who have a specific infectious illness from those
who are healthy and the restriction of their movement to stop the
spread of that illness.
Quarantine, in contrast, generally refers to the separation and
restriction of movement of persons, plants, animals, etc who, while not
yet ill, have been exposed to an infectious agent and therefore may
become infectious. Quarantine of exposed persons is a public health
strategy, like isolation, that is intended to stop the spread of
infectious disease. Both isolation and quarantine may be conducted
voluntarily or compelled on a mandatory basis through legal authority.
The introduction of laws enforces the application of
control measures such as spraying, the cleaning up of crop residues,
fumigation, and eradication.
Insecticide laws govern the manufacture and sale of insecticides and
prevent the adulteration and misbranding of insecticides.
Poison residue laws fix the tolerance of various insecticides upon
food products offered for sale or transportation.

6. Natural Control. Not all the control measures that destroy or check
insectsdo not depend upon man for their continuance or success. Some
cannot even be influenced by man. These include:
Climatic factors such as rainfall, sunshine, cold, heat, and wind.
Topography factors such as rivers, lakes, mountains, type of soil,
other characteristics of the country serve as barriers.
Predators and parasites including insects, birds, reptiles, mammals.
 Safety Precautions in the Use of Pesticides

Practically all of the pesticides commercially available are toxic to man

and animals. The people most likely to encounter these hazards are the
operators and applicators. Pesticides enter the body in three ways: 1) by
ingestion or swallowing; 2) by breathing the dust or vapors, and 3)
by absorption through the skin. One form can prove just as fatal
as the other, but most cases of poisoning occur through
taking in accidentally.

A. Before application
1. Read the label
Determine the target organism.
Identify the rate and time of application.
Wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Remember the antidotes and other safety measures.
Observe field re-entry intervals after treatment.
2. Check the sprayer
Fill the tank with plain water and test the sprayer to be used that
there are no leaks or loose connections and the equipment is working
properly.
Repair or replace any worn-out or faulty part.
3. Mixing and filling
Extra precaution is necessary when mixing and filling sprayers
because pesticides are concentrated.
Wear personal protective equipment.
Open pesticide container carefully to avoid splashes, spills, or drifts.
Keep your head away from the opening of the sprayer.
Wash and change clothes immediately if the pesticide is spilled
on clothing.
Do not use bare hands in mixing pesticides, nor allow
concentrated materials to touch bare skin.
B. During application
1. Wear personal protective equipment.
2. Do not eat, drink, smoke, or blow clogged nozzles with your mouth
while applying pesticides.
3. Do not spray when it is windy to avoid pesticide drift.
4. Spray areas near homes in early mornings or evenings when humans,
pets and livestock are less likely to be exposed.
C. After application
1. Store remaining pesticides properly.
2. Bathe and change clothing after application of pesticides.
3. Stay away from the treated field for one to two days. This prevents
poisoning through contact with treated plants, or inhalation of pesticide
fumes.
 Assessment: Multiple Choice

Directions: Read each question carefully and choose the letter that
corresponds to the best answer from the choices provided. Write your
answers in a separate answer sheet.

1. For a disease to develop, what must be present?

a. susceptible host plant c. environmental favorable to disease
b. disease-producing agent d. all of the above
2. Which crop is affected by Black Rot, which characterized by light brown to
yellow V-shaped lesions on the leaf of the plants?
a. brassicas c. lettuces
b. cucumber d. tomatoes
3.What type of mouthparts do insects have?
a. eating, spitting, lapping c. sucking, eating, spitting
b. lapping, chewing, eating d. chewing, sucking, lapping
4. Which of the following stages does a grasshopper go through to become an
adult?
a. egg, larva, nymph, adult c. egg, larva, adult
b. egg, larva, pupa, adult d. egg, nymph, adult
5. Legal control is the eradication of insects by controlling human
activities. Which control refers to the separation and restriction of persons,
animals, and plants?
a. isolation c. inspections
b. suppression d. quarantine
6. These insects feed by chewing some portions of the plants like leaves, stems,
and fruits. Which among the insects below belong to this group?
a. aphids c. grasshoppers
b. fruit flies d. squash bugs
7. Which among these insects able to lick liquid from the outer surfaces of
objects on which they feed?
a. aphids c. maggots
b. beetles d. caterpillars
8. Which choice is an example of a biological method of pest control?
a. applying a pre-emergence herbicide c. increasing pest natural enemy
b. cultivating between plant rows d. employing crop rotation of plants
9. Uncle Tomas visited his vegetable farm one morning, he noticed some wilting,
yellowing, and stunting growth of his tomato plants. What bacterial disease is
infected by these symptoms?
a. bacterial spot c. bacterial speck
b. bacterial wilt d. bacterial blight
10. Regular farm operations are performed to destroy insects or prevent
plant injuries. What method of controlling insects is this?
a. legal control c. physical control
b. applied control d. cultural control