Pests of field crops generally fall into one of how many fairly easily recognized groups?

• A. Two
• B. Five
• C. Seven
• D. Twenty-four

Answer: (B)

Field crop pests are usually grouped into five broad categories: insects, diseases, weeds, nematodes, and vertebrates. This helps you quickly identify the kind of problem and pick the right management approach. Insects and their relatives respond to insecticides, biological controls, or cultural practices; diseases (caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses) are tackled with fungicides, resistant varieties, and sanitation; weeds are controlled with herbicides and cultural practices; nematodes, tiny soil-dwelling worms, are managed through crop rotation, nematicides, or resistant varieties; vertebrates like birds and rodents are kept out with barriers, repellents, or population control. Since there are five distinct groups, that number is a handy rule of thumb for remembering how pests in field crops are typically categorized.