UNIQUE

CHARACTERISTICS
OF PESTS

&

TYPES OF
HOST PLANT
RESISTANCE

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 Unique Characteristics of pest as it affect biological control strategies

1. Adaptability
The ability of an insect pest to adopt different environmental
conditions
Insect specific adaptations
Defense mechanisms
Protective coloration
Protective mimicry

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croorganisms (Nida Ratilla)
Unique Characteristics of pest as it affect biological control strategies

2. High reproductive
potential and abundance

– this characteristic can render

biological control strategies less
effective especially if natural
enemies are few in number

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3.Capacity to Flight- Insect possess wings to escape from predators
and arasites

4. Protective Retreats- It is where insect hide to avoid being

captured by predators

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croorganisms (Nida Ratilla)
Types of host plant Resistance

Plant resistance- -is the consequence of

heritable plant qualities that result in a plant being
relatively less damaged than a plant without
qualities.

In agricultural terms, insect-resistant crop cultivar

is one that yield more than a susceptible cultivar
when confronted with insect pest invasion.

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croorganisms (Nida Ratilla)
 Effect of Insect Pest-Plant host relationship
-insect-resistant plants alter the relationship an
insect pest has with its plant host.

How the relationship between the insect and plant is

affected?

Antibiosis- often results in increased mortality or reduced

longevity and reproduction of the insect.

Antixenosis- usually expressed as non-preference of the

insect for a resistance plant.

Tolerance- a plant
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Crop Protection 4: Beneficial to
croorganisms (Nida Ratilla)
an insect
Arthropods & Mi pest. 6
Advantages to the use of Insect-
Resistant Crop Varieties
• Economic Advantage – Crop yield is saved
from loss due to insect pest

• Ecological and environmental Advantage-

increase species diversity in the ecosystem
due to the absence of insecticides.

• Increase in species diversity and increase

ecosystem stability which promote a more
sustainable system far less polluted.
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croorganisms (Nida Ratilla)
Advantages to the use of Insect-
Resistant Crop Varieties
• ecological compatibility with other control tactics.

• Insect resistance cultivar synergize the effects of

natural, biological and cultural insect pest
suppression tactics

• Plant resistance is specific, only affecting the target

pest

• Resistant cultivar has long lasting effectivity.

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croorganisms (Nida Ratilla)