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ILLINOIS SEED TREATMENT
EXAM QUESTIONS AND A NSWERS
Question 1: Seed treatment pesticides include
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. herbicide antidotes (safeners)
- bactericides 3. insecticides 4. fungicides
Question 2: Not a seed treatment
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. seed applied growth
regulators 2. micronutrients 3. nitrogen-fixing organisms
Question 3: Advantages of using seed treatment
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. control of seedborne
pathogens 2. protect vulnerable seeds and seedlings during stressful conditions of germination and emergence
- targeted, low dosage 4. relatively inexpensive control
option 5. relatively inexpensive control option 6. reduced environment impact 7. may be only real control option 8.may be an alternative for spraying some early foliar pests
Question 4: Disadvantages of seed treatment
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CORRECT ANSWER: 1. accidental poisoning of
children, animals, and wildlife 2. potential for contamination of food and feed supply 3. exposure during application and planting 4. seed or seedling phytotoxicity
- limited duration of protection (also a benefit) 6. what to
do with leftover treated seed
Question 5: Factors that favor the use of seed treatments
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. field is for seed production 2.
low test weight or older seed 3. planting in unfavorable germination conditions such as wet and/or cold soil (these conditions may allow weak pathogens to infect) 4.planting into fields with a history of stand establishment problems 5. planting to precise populations 6. replanting will not be feasible if first planting fails 7. seed is expensive 8. seed thought to carry certain seedborne pathogens 9. yield potential of field is high
Question 6: Seed treatment as part of IPM
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. help minimize negative
effects on the environment 2. avoid pesticide residue in the food supply 3. minimize economic loss due to pests 4.
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avoid development of pests that overcame pesticides and host plant resistance
Question 7: Purpose of seed treatments
CORRECT ANSWER: A. control of seedborne
pathogens seedborne pathogens may be found on the seed surface, in cracks and crevices or as infections inside the intact seed these pathogens may be important for three
reasons: 1. some seedborne pathogens may not survive in
the soil or on plant residues. 2. seedborne pathogens may get a head start and cause greater damage. 3. seedborne pathogens may move from one location to another in seed shipments B. control of soilborne and foliar pests *germinating seeds and young plants are relatively tender and lack food reserves to recover from injuries
Question 8: Contact pesticides
CORRECT ANSWER: control only surface pathogens
Question 9: Systemic pesticides
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CORRECT ANSWER: help control seedborne
pathogens both on the surface and internally
Question 10: Alternatives to seed treatment
CORRECT ANSWER: 1. crop rotation 2. good fertility
management 3. heat treatment 4. planting date 5. soil applied or post-emergence sprays 6. controlling volunteer crop plants
Question 11: Fungi
CORRECT ANSWER: small organisms that are mostly
saprophytic (live on dead plant or animal material) but a few are pathogenic (live on live plants or animals)
Question 12: Bacteria
CORRECT ANSWER: are single-celled organism that
reproduce by division