CONTROLLING CROP PESTS

Subject : 

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Term :

FIRST TERM

Week:

WEEK 9

Class :

JSS 3 / BASIC 9

Topic :

  CONTROLLING CROP PESTS

Previous lesson: 

The pupils have previous knowledge of

 GENERAL EFFECTS OF DISEASES OF ON FARM ANIMALS.

that was taught as a topic in the previous lesson

Behavioural objectives :

At the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to

• say what pests are.
• highlight ways of controlling pests
• Mention damages that are caused by insect pests

Instructional Materials:

• Wall charts
• Pictures
• Related Online Video
• Flash Cards

Methods of Teaching:

• Class Discussion
• Group Discussion
• Asking Questions
• Explanation
• Role Modelling
• Role Delegation

Reference Materials:

• Scheme of Work
• Online Information
• Textbooks
• Workbooks
• 9 Year Basic Education Curriculum
• Workbooks

Content : 

CONTROLLING CROP PESTS:

1. Crop pest damage,

2 .The concept and principles of pest control and pest management,

3. Method of pest control and management.

Sub-Topic 1:

CROP PEST DAMAGE

Pest are living organism, plant or animals, which can cause damage to cultivated crops, farm animals and humans. The most common pests include insects like grasshoppers, aphids, termites, weevils, beetles, mammals such as rats, monkeys and birds such as weaver birds. Some worms live in the soil, and are called nematodes, are also very notable pests of crops.

CROP PEST DAMAGE 

Pests often cause a lot of damage to crop plants and the damage lead to what is called crop loss.  This means that pests have removed large quantities of harvests which farmers should have obtained from their crops.

The pattern of damage differs in terms of the kind of pest involved and the crop which is damaged; such crops are called host plants.

Pests cause damage to crops in three different ways: 

1. By eating up the whole parts of plants e.g. grasshoppers and termites,

2. They bore holes in various parts of the plants e.g. stem borers and;

3. Suck juice from the fruits and flowers, e.g. aphids and mealy bugs which suck juice from cassava plants and in the process transmit diseases.

Sub-Topic 2:

THE CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLES OF PEST CONTROL AND PEST MANAGEMENT:

Mealy bug.

Cotton stainer

Agricultural scientists use the term pest control to describe the methods which are applied to reduce the populations of insect pests and other organisms which are causing crops damage.

In the past people talk about pests control as eliminating pests completely but we now know that this is not possible because eliminating pests create an ecological vacuum which leads to various problems. The term pest management is used to describe this option which has proved very successful in reducing pest damage to crops and crop losses.

The most important types of information required for the successful management of pests include the following:

The exact scientific name and identity of the pest organisms.

The behaviour of the pest, as well as the exact stage of the crops when the pest occurs.

The nature of the damage done to crops by pests.

The natural enemies of the pest and how the populations of the natural enemies change with the weather and the pest.

 The best method to control pest or manage the pests is the one that is most cost-effective and the method which will not leave any problems in the farm and the general environment. The method should also not affect the harvested products in any way to reduce their qualities

Scientific principle for successful pest control and pest management 

Observation: Farmers must first regularly observe crops in the farm to see how they are growing and which pests are causing damage to the crops; when the pests occur, how many pests are present on the crops.

Nature of damage: Through observation, understand the nature of the crop damage caused.

Decision making: Make a decision on the kind of method that can be applied and how the method should be applied to reduce the pests damage; and

Eradication: Take necessary action to remove pests and reduce the crop damage.

Sub-Topic 3:METHODS OF PEST CONTROL AND PEST MANAGEMENT

Pest organisms are normal components of the farming environment. To reduce pest damage to crops and to prevent crop losses, pests and crop damage must be controlled. Therefore, the purpose of applying pest control or pest management methods is to drastically reduce the numbers or populations of pests to low levels which cause very little damage to crops.

Not all pests are controlled in the same way. The method of control selected will depend on the crop, the kind of pest concern, the nature of damage caused and the cost of the control method. Common methods of pest control are described under the following headings.

1.CULTURAL METHODS:

This is the application of exalt farm operation in other to prevent crops from insect attack or to reduce and destroy insect populations in the farm.

Adequate spacing and correct seed rate per hectare will assist aeration with crops unsuitable for pest development.

The practice of crop rotation which involves growing crops which are normally heavily damaged by pests and alternating them with cops which are not heavily damaged.

Growing many crops together in the same farm, a practice called mixed cropping.

Timelines or early planting of crops.

Other cultural methods which reduce pest numbers are tilling and ploughing of soil to bring up the eggs and larvae of some pests which are exposed to the heat of the sun and are killed or are eaten by birds.

2. Physical methods

These are simple method which use physical means to reduce the numbers of pests; for example

1. Hand picking, picking individual large insect pests like grasshoppers from crops.

2. Using traps and cages to catch pests, for example, traps are used for controlling rat and other rodents in rice fields.

3. Bird pests are also effectively controlled by the use of mist nets placed on the flight paths to trap them. The birds trapped are collected and destroyed.

4.  Placing artificially constructed images of the human figure with clothes, in different parts of the farm.

5. Scarecrow to scare away birds.

6.  Shooting and rodents with guns.

3. Use of resistant crop varieties

Agricultural research scientists have produce some types of crops which insects do not like to feed on. Such crops are called pests resistant varieties.

4. Biological control

The natural enemies of crop pests can be used to control them. Natural enemies of pests may be predators, parasites or pathogenic organisms that cause diseases in pests or kill them.

5. use of chemicals (Pesticides)

The most common and easiest method of controlling pests is the use of chemicals to spray crops infested with pests. Chemicals which have been developed for controlling pests are called pesticides.

 Pesticides kill pests in three major ways:

1. By contact poisoning (spraying directly on pests),

2. As stomach poisoning (when pests eat the crops) and

3. As fumigant (when pests inhaled the poisonous fumes from pesticides which are spray onto infected crops)

6. Integrated Pest Management

Farmers and agricultural scientists have discovered that the most popular method of dealing with pests in their farms and the method that has proven to be highly effective is called Integrated Pest Management, abbreviated as IPM.

Presentation

The topic is presented step by step

Step 1:

The class teacher revises the previous topics

Step 2.

He introduces the new topic

Step 3:

The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the needs arise

Evaluation

Objective Test:

1 One of these is not a scientific method A. observation B. decision taking C. taking of action D. picking.

2. The methods applied on pest reduction is called A. pest elimination B crop reduction.  C Crop preservation D. crop rotation.

3 The use natural enemies of pest in controlling pests is called……….A. biological pest control B. mechanical pest control C. planting of resistant varieties D. physical  method.

4. Hand picking, use of trap, setting of net along the pathway of birds is……….

A physical method B. chemical method C. fumigation D. cultural method.

5.   The pest control that is very expensive is …..A .chemical method B. cultural method C. physical method D. biological method.

6.  Crops damage lead to what is called ………A. crop sickness B. crop management

C. crop loss D. crop destruction.

7. Which of these is not an effect of pests on crops A. reduction in quality B. sickness C. crop improvement D. infection?

8   crops is affected by different pests such crop is called…A .host plant B. affected plant C. eaten plant D. damaged crop.

9. Which of these is not a pest of cassava and yam?

A. rodents B. birds C. nematode D. grasshoppers.

10. Grasshopper may likely cause damage to …..A. root  B. flower C. leaves D tuber.

Essay Test:

1. Explain the following:

• Cultural method of pest control
• Physical pest control
• Biological pest control

2. What is pest elimination and the problem that may occur.

3. Discuss pest control and management.

4. List some common examples of pest that affect farm produce.

5. Discuss the various ways by which pests can cause damage to crops?

Conclusion

The class teacher wraps up or concludes the lesson by giving out short notes to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.

The class teacher also goes round to make sure that the notes are well copied or well written by the pupils.

He or she does the necessary corrections when and where the needs arise.