Agricultural Science

Classification of Insect Pests and their Economic Importance

len Alfred Ajibola - Thu, 05th March, 2020 @ 11:45 AM

Topics in Agricultural Science

Types of agricultural practices Crop rotation explained Benefits of crop rotation Differences between subsistence and commercial farming Subsistence farming explained with its characteristics What is commercial farming? Types of commercial farming Characteristics of commercial farming Importance of forest: Forest reserves in Nigeria Wildlife reserves in Nigeria and its importance Prevention and Control of Crop Pests Economic Importance of Crop Pests Classification of Insect Pests and their Economic Importance Agricultural machines and their uses Causes of soil erosion Ways to prevent soil erosion Asexual Propagation in Plants, Types and Examples Differences between gymnosperms and angiosperms Scheme of Work, Agricultural Science, SS1, First Term Scheme of Work, Agricultural Science, SS1, Second Term Scheme of Work, Agricultural Science, SS1, Third Term

Academic Questions in Agricultural Science

Please click here to see all Questions and Answers

All plants are crops.

  • A. True

  • B. False

In agriculture, macronutrients are essential nutrients required by plants. Which of the following is not a macronutrient?

  • A. Zinc

  • B. Sulphur

  • C. Calcium

  • D. Phosphorus

  • E. Potassium

  • F. Magnesium

Which of the following is false concerning micronutrients?

  • A. They are non-essential nutrients

  • B. They are required by plants in minute quantities

  • C. Iron is a micronutrient

  • D. Chlorine is a micronutrient

  • E. Copper is a micronutrient

  • F. Boron is a micronutrient

_____ is a term that describes the biological, chemical and cultural control tactics employed to make pest management economical, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable.

  • A. Integrated Pest Management

  • B. Integral Pest Management

  • C. International Pest Management

  • D. Inclusive Pest Management

  • E. Imbibed Pest Management

  • F. Inclusion Pest Management

Cordage is made from _____ crop.

  • A. Food

  • B. Fibre

  • C. Ornamental

  • D. Oil

  • E. Cash

  • F. Vegetables and Spice

_____ is defined as the solid and arable part of the earth where agricultural activities are be carried out.

  • A. Soil

  • B. Farmland

  • C. Agricultural land

  • D. Biosphere

  • E. Open land

  • F. Planting and grazing land

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are seed bearing plants under the division spermatophyta?

  • A. True

  • B. False

Which of the following is false concerning gymnosperms?

  • A. Cones are present

  • B. Sepals are present

  • C. Petals are absent

  • D. Only seeds are produced

  • E. Sporophyll form the cones

  • F. In seed formation, the ovules aren't present in the ovary

Classes of Insect Pests:

An insect pest can simply be defined as any insect capable of causing damage to crop plant.

Please read on the differences between plants and crops here.

It is important to state that we have other organisms that aren't insects (insect pests) but are also capable of causing damage to crop plants. Such organisms include:


Our classification of insect pest will be based on their mode of feeding. These group of insect pests will include:


1. Biting and Chewing Insects

A major characteristic of the biting and chewing insect pest is the possession of mouth-parts such as a strong mandible and maxillae.

You can read on the skeletal material (chitin) found in Insects here.

The image below shows the mouth parts of a biting and chewing insect:

Mouth parts of biting and chewing insect - Len Academy

Please read on pest of agricultural importance here.


The mandibles and maxilla of insect pests are used for biting and chewing plant parts.

Examples of biting and chewing insects include grasshoppers, termites, army worms, locust, beetles, leaf worms and so on.

 

2. Piercing and Sucking Insects

Piercing and sucking insects possess a strong mouth part termed proboscis.

The proboscis is a tiny and elongated mouth-part which enables certain insects to pierce through plants in order to suck the liquid substances from their tissues.

You can read on agricultural terms and meanings here.


The image below shows the proboscis of a piercing and sucking insect:

Mouth parts of piercing and sucking insect (Proboscis) - Len Academy

Examples of piercing and sucking insects include aphids, cotton strainers, butterflies, mealy-bugs and white flies.

 

3. Boring Insects

Boring insects will bore or make holes into crop plants. They end up destroying the tissues of plants, fruits and seeds through this process.

Please read more on the problems of agriculture in Nigeria here.

Examples of boring insects are stem borers, bean beetles and weevils.

 

Economic Importance of Insect Pest

Below are the economic importance or effects of insect pest in crop production:

  1. They reduce the farmer’s profit.
    You can read on roles of government in agriculture here.

  2. They cause reduction in the viability of stored produce.

  3. Some are vectors of diseases. A vector is an organism that carries and transmits a disease causing organism into another organism (called the host).
    Please read more on vectors of diseases here.

  4. They destroy crops through their biting, chewing, boring, sucking and defoliation activities.

  5. While attempting to control them, the cost of production is increased.
    You can read on agricultural tools and their uses here.

  6. They render vegetables and fruits unattractive and unmarketable.

  7. They generally reduce the yield of crops.

  8. They may bring about the death of crop plants.
    You can read on the characteristics of living organisms here.

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Amazing facts in Agricultural Science

Cows technically have one stomach, not four. However, a cow's stomach has four compartments. These are: rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum

Peanuts are legumes and not nuts

Although plants neither see nor hear, they can recognize their siblings and even give them preferential treatments

Squirrels do plant more trees (through their actions) than an average human in their lifetime. They often hide their acorns and nuts underground and forget about them

Cows have got the ability to walk up stairs, but not down stairs

A group of cows is called a team, drove or herd.

People just prefer to call them herd

NOTABLE POINTS IN Agricultural Science

Below are the classification of crops based on their uses:

  • Oil crops

  • Vegetable crops

  • Latex crops

  • Drug and Medicinal crops

  • Beverage crops

  • Fibre crops

  • Fruit crops

  • Root and Tubers

  • Legumes

  • Spices

  • Cereals

All crops are plants but not all plants are crops. Below are some instances:

  • Weeds are considered as plants, not crops.

  • Parasitic plants are not necessarily crops. Examples of parasitic plants include mistletoe, corpse flower and striga.

  • Carnivorous or insectivorous plants are not necessarily crops. Examples are sundew, venus flytrap and pitcher plant. The image below shows a carnivorous plant (venus flytrap).

Venus flytrap - Len Academy

 

Meanwhile, always understand that all crops are plants, and they are grown for food, money or something beneficial.

Please read on plants versus crops here

Below are some of the problems of agriculture in Nigeria:

  • Lack of mechanized farming

  • Poor government policies

  • High cost of fertilizers

  • Lack of education

  • Lack of storage facilities

  • Bad road network

  • Poor research facilities

Please read a detailed explanation on the problems of agriculture in Nigeria here.

Secateurs are agricultural tools.

Secateurs - Len Academy

  • Secateurs are also referred to as pruning shears or hand pruners.

  • It looks like a pair of scissors.

  • It’s used for trimming flowers and leaves.

  • It is also used for pruning the branches of shrubs.

An example of an agricultural tool is the hoe. It is shown below:

Hoe - Len Academy

  • We have a variety of hoes.

  • They are generally used for tilling the soil.

  • They are used for making trenches in farmlands.

  • A hoe is utilized in harvesting crops like yam and cocoyam

  • They are also used for cutting weeds on farmlands.

Please read on agricultural tools and their uses here