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ILLINOIS FIELD CROP
APPLICATORS TEST QUE STIONS
AND ANSWERS
Question 1: An Integrated Pest Management program is
based upon
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. Scouting for pests-
understanding pest biology 2. Environmental information- growth stages of field crops 3. Technology to prevent unacceptable thresholds of pest damage by most economical means-economic threshold of insects, diseases or weeds 4. Lowest possible risk to people, property, resources and environment-socially acceptable control measures
Question 2: When scouting, where in the field should one
sample?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. randomly-avoid borders rows
or field edges 2. regularly scout at least 1x per week
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Question 3: What should be done if scouting detects an
important pest but its numbers do not reach the economic threshold?
CORRECT ANSWER: Do not treat, but scout again
after an appropriate time period
Question 4: What is the number of pests that should be
controlled to prevent economic damage from occurring?
CORRECT ANSWER: economic threshold injury =
control
Question 5: List factors that are considered in determining
an economic injury level, the number of pests where the value of crop loss from these pests equals the cost of controlling them
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. number of pests or estimate of
the amount of damage 2. cost of various treatment options
- expected yield 4. expected grain value
Question 6: List 3 examples of economic thresholds for
some insect pests
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CORRECT ANSWER: 1. black cutworms-3% or more
of plants are cut 2. bean leaf beetle-defoliation reaches 30% before bloom 3. Potato leaf hopper-certain number are collected per sweep at a given plant height
Question 7: What types of control measures can be used
in an IPM program?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. mechanical 2. physical 3.
biological 4. chemical
Question 8: What kind of damage is caused by corn
rootworms, the most important economic insect pest of corn in Illinois?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. Larvae-chew on and tunnel in
roots 2. adults-feed on and cut silks at ear tip-reduce kernel pollination
Question 9: What are the economic thresholds when
scouting for corn rootworm beetles?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. when the silks are green, if
silks are clipped within 1/2 inch of the tip of the ear 2.
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from late July to late August a. in soybeans: 1.5 beetles
per unbaited Pherocon AM trap per day b. in continuous
corn: 2 beetles per unbaited Pherocon AM trap per day
Question 10: What kind of damage does black cutworm
larvae do to corn seedlings?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. chew small pinholes in corn
leaves 2. cut plants off at or below soil surface 3. growing point could be destroyed
Question 11: What type of field factors increase the
potential for black cutworm damage to develop and why?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. crop debris 2. winter annual
weeds 3. late planted
Question 12: What are the recommended methods for
managing black cutworms in Illinois?
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. scouting during plant
emergence 2. control by using rotary hoe or cultivating on dry soil 3. rescue treatment when necessary