Question

During recent years many disease resistant crops plants have been released and many chemical pesticides have also been used to control the pest and diseases, so as to improve the agricultural yield. But such methods of pest and disease management have led to the development of 'super pests and super weeds' which require more scientific methods to control them.

Answer the following questions on the basis of above information : 

(i) Should we continue such a practice of pest and disease management ?

(ii) What other method should be adopted to keep the pest and diseases at manageable level so as to enhance the agricultural yield ?

(iii) What value have not been kept in mind in the above case.

Answer 1

(i) No doubt such practice helps in the management of pest and diseases but at the same time have some adverse side effects too. Therefore such practices should be used judiciously after proper scrutinisation so that harm to the environment is minimum and agricultural output is maximum. 

(ii) Biocontrol methods of pest and disease management should be preferred. It is a natural method of pest and pathogen control. It involves the use of microorganisms or other natural predators or their product for controlling the plant diseases. e.g. the fungus Trichoderma exerts biocontrol over several plant pathogens. Their biocontrol agents are specific and unlike chemical pesticides do not harm the useful non target organisms and keep the pest and ecological balance manageable.

(iii) Ethical values with regard to the safety of environment have been neglected in this case.