### Damages Done by Pests on Crops
1. **Physical Damage:**
- Pests such as insects and rodents can chew on stems, leaves, fruits, and roots, leading to physical damage that hampers plant growth and reduces yields.
2. **Nutrient Theft:**
- Pests like aphids and nematodes drain essential nutrients from plants. Aphids suck the sap while nematodes attack roots, both of which deprive crops of vital nutrients needed for growth.
3. **Disease Transmission:**
- Many pests act as vectors for various plant diseases, introducing pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that can severely impact plant health and productivity.
### Examples of Diseases Transmitted by Insects to Crops
1. **Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV):**
- Transmitted by the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci).
2. **Rice Tungro Disease:**
- Transmitted by leafhoppers (specifically the green leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens).
3. **Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing):**
- Transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri).
### Effects of Crop Pests on Yield
1. **Reduced Crop Quantity:**
- Physical damage and nutrient theft lead to a direct decrease in the quantity of harvestable produce.
2. **Lower Quality:**
- Infested crops often result in poor quality produce that may not meet market standards due to blemishes, deformities, or other pest-related damage.
3. **Increased Production Costs:**
- Farmers incur additional expenses in controlling pests through pesticides, traps, and other pest management techniques.
4. **Reduced Germination Rates:**
- Seed-eating pests can lower seed quality, affecting future crop yields by reducing germination rates.
5. **Delayed Harvest:**
- Severe infestations can stress the plants, leading to delayed growth and prolonged harvest times, disrupting planting schedules.
6. **Economic Losses:**
- The combined effects of lower yields, increased control costs, and decreased market value result in significant economic losses for farmers.
1. List the three damages
done by pests on crops
2. List three examples of
diseases transmitted by
insects to crops
3.Mention six effects of crop
pest on yield
1 answer