The content is just an excerpt from the complete note for JSS 1 Third Term Agricultural Science Lesson Note – Description of the Damage Done by Pests and Effects of Crop Pests on Yield. Check below to download the complete PDF
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CONTENT
- Description of the damage done by pests
- Effects of crop pests on yield
Sub-Topic1: Description of the damage done by pests
Crop pests do a lot of damage to crops either on the farm or in the store. The damages done by pests include:
- Some insect pests are carriers of diseases which they transmit to healthy plants.
Examples of diseases transmitted by insect are: ground nut rosette, cassava mosaic, swollen shoot of cocoa, etc.
- Mammals (rodents) e.g rats, grass-cutter eat up the tubers of yam, cassava and potato.
- The birds destroy rice, sorghum, beans, maize and fruits at various stages of their growth on the farm.
TABLE SHOWING THE DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES DONE BY CROP PESTS.
| S/N | Â Â Â Â Â Â Crop Pest | Crop(S) Damaged | Nature of Damage Caused /Effects on Crops |
| 1. | Grasshoppers/locust | Cassava, yam, cowpea | · They eat vegetative parts of plants such as leaves, stems, fruits and flowers
· They reduce the rate of photosynthesis · They reduce growth and yield.
|
| 1.    | Aphids | Cowpea, soya beans, cocoa, kola, rubber, groundnut, lettuce, etc. | · They pierce plant part and suck sap and juice.
· They transmit virus diseases. · They produce honey dew which spreads on the leaf and as such disturbs photosynthetic ability. |
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Sub-Topic:Â 2. Effects of crop pests on yield.
- Heavy attack by pests may result in total crop failure.
- Infected seeds, crops, and vegetables have low market value.
- Pests reduce the quality of crops
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