UPMSP Vocational Crop Protection Technology key terms

A decision-making approach that combines monitoring, cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical tactics to keep pest populations below economic injury levels, using pesticides only when scouting and threshold data justify them.

The pest population density at which control measures should be applied to prevent the population from reaching the economic injury level, where crop loss equals the cost of control.

Systematic field inspection at fixed intervals using counts on plants, sweep nets or traps to estimate pest density, natural enemy presence and crop stage before choosing any control action.

Suppression of pest populations by living organisms such as predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi, bacteria or viruses, either conserved on site or released as augmentative agents.

An insect whose larva develops inside or on a single host insect, usually killing it, for example Trichogramma wasps used against lepidopteran borer eggs in field crops.

A device baited with a synthetic sex attractant to capture male moths, used to detect the start of a flight period, time insecticide sprays and estimate population trends.

The mandibulate mouthpart type of grasshoppers, cutworms and beetle grubs, which removes plant tissue; it indicates stomach-acting stomach poisons or baits rather than contact-only sprays.

A needle-like stylet arrangement in aphids, jassids, whiteflies and bugs that sucks sap and can transmit viruses; control needs systemic or translaminar insecticides because the pest does not ingest surface deposits.

A larval insect that tunnels into stems, shoots, fruits or cobs, such as the maize stem borer or sugarcane top borer, escaping surface sprays and requiring timely or systemic treatment.

A four-step proof that a suspected microorganism causes a disease: it must be found in diseased plants, isolated in pure culture, inoculated to reproduce symptoms, and re-isolated from the new host.

Any living or dormant pathogen structure able to start infection, such as spores, sclerotia, mycelium in debris, infected seed or soilborne propagules, that survives between crops.

The inherited ability of a crop variety to limit pathogen development, ranging from immunity to partial or field tolerance, and the most economical component of disease management.

A seedling disease caused by soilborne fungi such as Pythium or Rhizoctonia, producing pre-emergence rot or water-soaked collapse at the soil line shortly after germination.

A plant growing where it is not wanted, competing with crops for water, nutrients, light and space, and often hosting pests or interfering with harvest operations.

The crop growth window during which weed removal gives the greatest yield return, typically the first few weeks after sowing or transplanting; weeds emerging later cause little loss.

The property that lets a herbicide kill weeds without injuring the crop, arising from placement, dose, plant morphology, absorption differences or metabolic detoxification in the crop.

A material added to a spray tank to modify the formulation's behavior, such as a surfactant lowering surface tension, a sticker improving rainfastness or an antifoaming agent.

A liquid formulation in which the active ingredient and emulsifier dissolve in an organic solvent and form a milky emulsion when diluted in water; it mixes easily but may damage tender foliage.

A solid formulation of active ingredient with a carrier and wetting agent, ground fine and suspended in water for spraying; it needs constant agitation and can clog nozzles.

A compound absorbed and translocated within the plant so that insects feeding on any treated tissue take up a lethal dose, useful against hidden sap feeders and borers.

A pesticide that kills only the pest it touches directly at application, leaving no residual inside plant tissue, so thorough coverage and correct timing are essential.

A pesticide that acts after being swallowed with treated plant material, effective against chewing insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers, and the basis of bait formulations.

The biochemical or physiological process through which a pesticide kills or inhibits a pest, for example nerve impulse disruption or inhibition of a key enzyme in amino acid synthesis.

The inherited ability of a pest population to survive a dose of pesticide that would kill susceptible individuals, developing under repeated selection pressure and managed by rotation and mixtures.

Off-target movement of pesticide droplets or vapour by wind or air currents during or after application, causing crop injury, environmental contamination and human exposure.

The procedure of measuring output, speed and swath to set the correct spray volume per hectare, ensuring the label dose is delivered and avoiding overdosing or underdosing.

A herbicide applied to the soil before weeds emerge, forming a chemical barrier that kills germinating seedlings; it must be applied to a moist, well-prepared seedbed.

The statistically estimated dose of a toxicant that kills 50 percent of a test animal population, usually expressed in milligrams per kilogram body weight and used to rank acute toxicity.

The short warning printed on a pesticide label, such as Danger, Warning or Caution, that summarises the acute hazard class and drives the required protective equipment and handling precautions.

Clothing and devices worn to prevent pesticide exposure, including coveralls, gloves, boots, goggles and respirators, selected according to the label and the task being done.

The minimum time that must pass after a pesticide application before workers may enter the treated area without protective equipment, set to avoid harmful exposure.

The waiting period between the last pesticide application and harvest that the label requires so that residues at harvest stay within the maximum residue limit.

The legally permitted concentration of a pesticide residue in or on a food commodity, set from supervised field trial data and used to check compliance of produce in trade.

Laboratory determination of pesticide amounts left in produce, soil or water, commonly by extraction and cleanup followed by gas or liquid chromatography with selective detection.

Application of a fungicide or insecticide dressing to seed before sowing to protect germinating seedlings from seedborne and soilborne pathogens and early sucking pests.

A numbered classification that groups insecticides sharing a mode of action, used on labels and advisory sheets to plan rotations that delay resistance development.

Maintaining dated records of field operations, inputs, spray details, pest observations, harvests and costs, which supports traceability, residue compliance, credit access and better decisions.

Planning and running a farm-based or service business, such as custom spraying, nursery production or vermicompost supply, by assessing market demand, costs, pricing and risk.