Nature and types of damage by insect pests

Abstract

AbstractInsects cause enormous damage to forests, agricultural crops as well as stored agricultural commodities. Insects and other pests commonly attack crops because of their liking and to complete their life cycle. Insects damage the plants and their parts by chewing leaves, stems, roots, sucking juices, egg laying and transmitting bacterial, fungal and viral diseases. Several hundred diseases of plants are known to be transmitted by insects. Thus insects effecting plant vigor resulting severe crop losses. Pest problem is one of the major constraints for achieving higher production. So increase in crop productivity without adequate crop protection does not make sense, because an increase in attainable yield is often associated with an increased vulnerability to damage inflicted by pests. Insect management is important to keep the pests from spreading to other crops. The mechanical, cultural, physical, chemical, biological and IPM methods which can be used to control pests are discussed here.

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