PESTDEFINITION,CATEGORIES,CAUSESFOROUTBREAK,LOSSES

CAUSEDBYPESTS
PEST Derived from French word Peste and Latin term Pestis meaning
plagueorcontagiousdisease.

Pestisanyanimalwhichisnoxious,destructiveortroublesometomanorhis
interests.

Apestisanyorganismwhichoccursinlargenumbersandconflictwithmans
welfare,convenienceandprofit.

Apestisanorganismwhichharmsmanorhispropertysignificantlyorislikelyto
doso(Woods,1976).

Insectsarepestswhentheyaresufficientlynumeroustocauseeconomicdamage
(Debacli,1964).

Pestsareorganismswhichimposeburdensonhumanpopulationbycausing,
1. Injurytocropplants,forestsandornamentals.
2. Annoyance,injuryanddeathtohumansanddomesticatedanimals.
3. Destructionorvaluedepreciationofstoredproducts.

Pestsincludeinsects,nematodes,mites,snails,slugs,etc.andvertebrateslikerats,
birds,etc.
Depending upon the importance, pests may be agricultural forest, household,

medical,aestheticandveterinarypests.
CATEGORIESOFPESTS
Basedonoccurrencefollowingarepestcategories.
Regularpest:FrequentlyoccursoncropCloseassociatione.g.Ricestemborer,Brinjal
fruitborer.
Occasional pest: Infrequently occurs, no close association e.g. Caseworm on rice,
Mangostemborer.
Seasonalpest:Occursduringaparticularseasoneveryyeare.g.Redhairycaterpillaron
groundnut,Mangohoppers.

Persistentpest:Occursonthecropthroughouttheyearandisdifficulttocontrole.g.
Chillithrips,mealybugonguava.
Sporadicpests:Pestoccursinisolatedlocalitiesduringsomeperiod.e.g.Coconutslug
caterpillar.
Basedonlevelofinfestation
EpidemicPest:Suddenoutbreakofapestinasevereforminaregionataparticular
timee.g.BPHinTanjore,RHCinMadurai,Pollachi.
Endemic pest: Occurrence of the pest in a low level in few pockets, regularly and
confined to particular area e.g. Rice gall midge in Madurai, Mango hoppers in
Periyakulam.
Parametersofinsectpopulationlevels
Generalequilibriumposition(GEP)
Theaveragedensityofapopulationoveralongperiodoftime,aroundwhichthe
pestpopulationtendstofluctuateduetobioticandabioticfactorsandintheabsenceof
permanentenvironmentalchanges.
Economicthresholdlevel(ETL)
Populationdensityatwhichcontrolmeasureshouldbeimplementedtopreventan
increasingpestpopulationfromreachingtheEIL.
Economicinjurylevel(EIL)
Thelowestpopulationdensitythatwillcauseeconomicdamage.
Damageboundary(DB)
Thelowestlevelofdamagewhichcanbemeasured.ETLisalwayslessthanEIL.
Providessufficienttimeforcontrolmeasures.
PESTCATEGORIESACCORDINGTOEIL,GEPANDDB

(i)Keypest

Mostsevereanddamagingpests.

GEPliesaboveEILalways.

SpraytemporarilybringpopulationbelowEIL.

Thesearepersistentpests.

TheenvironmentmustbechangedtobringGEPbelowEIL.

e.g.Cottonbollworm,Diamondbackmoth
(ii)Majorpest

GEPliesveryclosetoEILorcoincideswithEIL.

Economicdamagecanbepreventedbytimelyandrepeatedsprayse.g.Cotton

jassid,Ricestemborer.
(iii)Minorpest/Occasionalpest

GEPisbelowtheEILusually.

RarelytheycrossEIL.

Canbecontrolledbysprayinge.g.Cottonstainers,Ricehispa,Ashweevils
(iv)Sporadicpests

GEPgenerallybelowEIL.

SometimesitcrossesEILandcauseseverelossinsomeplaces/periods.

e.g.Sugarcanepyrilla,Whitegrub,Hairycaterpillar
(v)Potentialpests

Theyarenotpestsatpresent.

GEPalwayslessthanEIL.

Ifenvironmentchangedmaycauseeconomiclosse.g.S.lituraispotentialpest

inNorthIndia
CAUSESOFPESTOUTBREAK
Activityofhumanbeingswhichupsetsthebioticbalanceofecosystemisthe
primecauseforpestoutbreak.ThefollowingaresomehumaninterventionsReasonfor
outbreak.
i.Deforestationanbringingundercultivation

Pestfeedingonforesttreesareforcedtofeedoncropped.

Biomass/unitareamoreinforeststhanagriculturalland.

WeatherfactorsalsoalteredAffectsinsectdevelopment.

ii.Destructionofnaturalenemies

Duetoexcessuseofinsecticides,naturalenemiesarekilled.

This affects the natural control mechanism and pest outbreak occurs, e.g.
SyntheticpyrethroidinsecticideskillNE.

iii.IntensiveandExtensivecultivation

Monoculture(Intensive)leadstomultiplicationofpests.

Extensivecultivation ofsusceptible varietyinlargeareaNocompetition for

foodmultiplicationincreases.
e.g.Stemborersinriceandsugarcane

iv.Introductionofnewvarietiesandcrops

Varieties with favourable physiological and morphological factors cause

multiplicationofinsects.e.g.Succulent,dwarfricevarietiesfavourleaffolder

Combodiacottonfavoursstemweevilandspottedbollworm.

Hybridsorghum(CSH1),cumbu(HB1)favourshootfliesandgallmidges.

v.Improvedagronomicpractices

IncreasedNfertilizerHighleaffolderincidenceonrice.

CloserplantingBPHandleaffolderincreases.

GranularinsecticidesPossessphytotoniceffectonrice.

vi.Introductionofnewpestinnewenvironment

Pestmultipliesduetoabsenceofnaturalenemiesinnewarea.

ApplewoollyaphidEriosomalanigerummultipliedfastduetoabsenceof
Aphelinusmali(Parasite).

vii.Accidentalintroductionofpestsfromforeigncountries(throughair/seaports)
e.g.a.Diamondbackmothoncauliflower(Plutellaxylostella)
b.PotatotubermothPhthorimaeaoperculella
c.CottonycushionscaleIceryapurchasionwattletree

d.WoolyaphidEriosomalanigerumonapple
e.PsyllidHeteropsyllacubanaonsubabul
f.SpirallingwhiteflyAleyrodichusdispersusonmostofhorticulturalcrops
viii.Largescalestorageoffoodgrains

Serveasreservoirforstoredgrainpests.

Urbanisationchangesecologicalbalance.

Ratsfoundinundergrounddrainage.

Resurgence
Tremendous increase in pest population brought about by insecticides despite
goodinitialreductioninpestpopulationatthetimeoftreatment.

Deltamethrin,Quinalphos,PhorateResurgenceofBPHinrice

Syntheticpyrethroids

Whiteflyincotton

Carbofuran

Leaffolderinrice

Lossescausedbypests
Croplossfromallfactors500billionUS$annuallyworldwide.
Insectpests
15.6%lossofproduction
Plantpathogens 13.3%
Weeds
13.2%
EstimatedcroplossinvariouscropsinIndia

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10
.

Crop
Wheat
Rice
Maize
Sorghum
Cotton
Pulses,groundnut
Sugarcane
Coffee
Fruits
Coconut

Lossinyield%
3.0
10.0
5.0
5.0
18.0
5.0
10.0
8.0
25.0
5.0
Source:(Pradhan(1964)

EstimatedannualcroplossinIndiabyinsectpests=Rs.29,240crores
(DhaliwalandArora,1996)

Questions
1. Whenaninsectiscalledapest?
2. DefineRegularpest,sporadicpest,persistentpest,endemicpest,epidemicpest,
occasionalpestandseasonalpest
3. ExpandGEPandDB
4. Definemajorpest,keypestandminorpest
5. Listouttheinsecticidescausingresurgenceininsects
6. Listoutimportantexoticpest
7. Giveabriefaccountonthecausesofpestoutbreak
8. Definepest