Georgia Pesticide Applicators Practice Exam

Which of the following can contribute to increased pest populations?

1. Crop rotation

2. Mono-cropping

3. Regular mowing

4. Biological controls

The correct answer is: Mono-cropping

Mono-cropping, which involves the cultivation of a single crop species over a wide area for many consecutive years, can lead to increased pest populations for several reasons. This practice creates a uniform habitat that can favor specific pests, allowing their populations to thrive unchecked. When the same crop is repeatedly planted, pests that are specialized to that crop can become more abundant because there are no other competing plants or natural enemies present to help control their numbers. Additionally, mono-cropping can lead to soil depletion and reduced biodiversity, which can further weaken the ecosystem's natural defenses against pests. In contrast, practices like crop rotation introduce diversity in planting, which can disrupt pest life cycles and reduce their populations, regular mowing can help manage certain pest populations by maintaining plant health and preventing overgrowth, and biological controls utilize natural predators or parasites to keep pest numbers in check. Therefore, mono-cropping is particularly problematic in pest management because it creates an environment that is highly conducive to pest proliferation.