PEST MANAGEMENT & NATUREAL PEST CONTROL AGENTS

Pests: a pest is an organism that causes an epidemic disease associated with high
mortality. Hence, pests are harmful to man physically & also to his crops causing
economic losses.
Pests are as follows:

Bacteria
Fungi
Nematode
Insects
Weeds

Pesticides: these are the substance which kills certain living organisms. These
are broadly categorized as follows:
i.
ii.
iii.

iv.
v.

vi.
vii.

Bactericides: The agent which kills the bacteria

Fungicides: The agent which kills the fungi
Herbicides: Most of the herbicide effects photosystem II of
photosynthesis, i.e., photolysis of water & evolution of oxygen. It
also disturbs translocation of organic solutes in plants
Weedicides: The agent which kills weeds.
Insecticides: the agent which kills insects & arthropods. These
affect nervous system by interfering with the conduction of nerve
impulses. Different groups of insecticides affect different parts of
nervous system.
Nematicides:
Rodenticides: The agent which kills the rodents (rats, mice, rabbit,
moles & etc).

Advantage of pesticides:

1. Protection of high yielding & useful verities of plants from pests, thus
increasing production of food & other crops to feed.
2. Pesticides are used to control the carriers of vector borne diseases; like
malarial, filarial, sleeping sickness, dengue fever & etc.
Methods of pest management:
1. Mechanical method
2. Agricultural method
3. Chemical method
4. Biological method
1. Mechanical method: These are as follows
Hand-picking of pests: Large caterpillars (ex: large green attractive
larvae) can be located rapidly & removed by hand. Weeds are
removed by hand-picking.
Burning of pests
Pruning: The tent caterpillars gather on branches of trees & shrubs.
By pruning or cutting out such branches is an effective measure.
Trapping of pests: Flying insect is trapped by pleasantly flavored
(Anise oil or rose oil is mixed with sawdust) attractant placed in
funnel-shape containers. The insect can easily get an entry in the
trap, but find it very hard to come out.
Metal reinforcement corners on window frames & door sills are
used to prevent the axis of rodent to storage shade & barns.
Modern concrete warehouses are helpful to control rodent.
2. Agricultural method: plants can observe sufficient organic phosphorus
compounds through the roots foliage to cause the death of insects eating the
leaves. Crop rotation is another useful method of agriculture.
3. Biological method: Chemical used a pesticide produce harmful effect on
living organism. It has therefore, become necessary to find alternatives to
these chemicals which do not produce undesirable effects. Biological control

by using plant or animal materials has been found useful in controlling many
harmful pests.
Insect hormones: Pheromones are the chemical which transmit
chemical from one individual to another of the same species.
Pheromones are useful in sending signal to individuals to come
together for sexual activities, etc. if the mating behavior or sexual
activities could be controlled by using pheromones, population size of
these insects can be reduced. Molting hormone Ecdysone & Juvenile
hormone have been used to control insect population.
Sterilization strategy: The screw worm Cochliomya homoniorax
was eliminated by releasing sterile insect (produced by irradiation) at
the time of mating.
Insects are eaten by birds
4. Chemical method: The chemicals are used to kill the pest. Different types
of chemical are used as follows:
i.
Organochlorine: These are chlorinated organic compounds. They are
lipophilic & great affinity for fatty animal tissue.
DDT (Dichlorodiphenyl trichloro ethane)
BHC (Benzene hexachloride)
Alderin
Dieldrin
Endrin
Endosulphan
Pentachlorophenol
Chlordane
ii.
Organophosphorus: These are organic esters of phosphoric,
thiophosphoric & other phosphoric acids. They effect nervous system
very severely.
Malathion
Parathion
Methyl parathion

iii.

iv.

v.

Fenitrothion
Thiometon
Dimethoate
Phorate
Tetra ethyl pyrophosphate
Triazines: These are derivatives of urea. They are used as herbicides
in the control of weeds in cotton & tobacco.
Atrazine
Simazine
Carbamates: These are organic esters of carbonic acid.
Carbofuran
Propoxur
Addicarp
Phenyl carbamate
Natural pest control agent:
Tobacco
Pyrethrum
Neem
Sabadilla
Ryania
Rotenone
Nux vomica