CATEGORY 3A+3B PESTICIDE TEST PAPER 2025
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Red Oak - ✔✔Deciduous, 7-9 lobes, leaves less glossy, and have smaller
indentations than black oak
✔✔River Birch - ✔✔Deciduous, papery/flaky bark, diamond-shaped leaves with double
serrated edges
✔✔Sycamore - ✔✔Deciduous, brown rough bark at base that transitions to a smooth
white in the canopy, 3-5 lobes, very wide leaves (4"-7"), pointed edges
✔✔Tulip Tree - ✔✔Deciduous, VERY distinct leaves, 4 lobes, very smooth edges
✔✔White Ash - ✔✔Deciduous, (virtually extinct due to emerald ash borer, often only
find dead white ash snags), has opposite leaves (leaves shoot off in pairs), very long
and thinner leaves, the tip is very tapered and skinny
✔✔Crabapple - ✔✔Alternate leaf arrangement (leaves do not shoot off in pairs and
alternate sides), oval-shaped leaves, edges are serrated, single red berry fruit
✔✔Euonymus - ✔✔Opposite leaf arrangement, oval-shaped leaves with serrated
edges, young plants can be used as ground cover but can develop into a shrub.
✔✔Lilac - ✔✔Opposite leaf arrangement, teardrop-shaped leaves, round at leaf base,
long tapered tip of leaf, smooth edges
✔✔Cherry - ✔✔Very similar to lilac BUT with alternate leaf arrangement and serrated
edges with jagged teeth
✔✔Pear - ✔✔Alternate leaf arrangement, teardrop-shaped leaves, serrated edges
without jagged teeth
✔✔Redbud - ✔✔Alternate glossy, heart-shaped leaves, 3"-5" wide and long, thin stems.
✔✔Rose - ✔✔Compound leaves (a bunch of leaflets where one simple leaf would be),
thorns, toothed leaves, flowers easy noticeable
✔✔Define "symptoms" of plant injury - ✔✔How a plant "responds" to a pathogen or
disorder (usually obvious in visuals or by their yield)
✔✔Define "signs" of plant injury... - ✔✔Visually able to see the pathogen (white powder
with powdery mildew)
,✔✔List common symptoms of plant injury - ✔✔Color change, wilting, brown/necrotic
regions, etc.
✔✔List common signs of plant injury - ✔✔Red rust on leaves or stems (cedar apple
rust), white powder (powdery mildew), green olive spots (scab)
✔✔Contrast the terms biotic and abiotic - ✔✔Biotic (living) pertains to a living organism
that is suppressing plant growth and yield (ex: fungi, bacteria, viruses)
Abiotic pertains to nonliving variables that affect plant growth and yield (ex: watering,
temp, soil pH)
✔✔List common biotic problems of landscape ornamentals - ✔✔Fungi, Bacteria,
Viruses, Nematodes
✔✔List common abiotic problems of landscape ornamentals - ✔✔Temp, Soil pH,
Mechanical injuries (construction, weather, compaction, feeding damage by birds and
mammals (but NOT insects!)
✔✔List three components of the disease triangle - ✔✔1) Pathogen (Fungus, bacteria,
virus)
2) Host (plant that can get sick)
3) Environment (conditions favorable to a particular disease)
✔✔Explain the relationship among the components of the disease triangle and the
development of plant disease - ✔✔A disease will not develop unless all three factors
(Pathogen, Host, Environment) are present for a specific period of time. The pathogen
needs a good environment and a weak host to take over and reduce yield and growth.
✔✔Anthracnose - ✔✔Leaf spot and stem disease caused by fungi. Affects many trees
but particularly on birch, dogwood, white oak, maple, and sycamore
✔✔Apple Scab - ✔✔Brown/olive-green roughly circular spots on Crabapple leaves,
caused by fungi
✔✔Diplodia Tip Blight - ✔✔Mostly affects Austrian Pines but can also damage Scotch,
Red, and Mugo pines. Well-established plants are hit the hardest (15-30 years old).
Stunting and browning of current-year shoots in the lower branches.
✔✔Fire Blight - ✔✔A bacterial disease that first appears in blooming. The ends of twigs
and branches assume a crooked appearance resembling a fishhook
, ✔✔Oak Wilt - ✔✔A fungal disease that affects the xylem (water transport) of the Oak.
Wilt on leaf edge that moves inwards eventually defoliating the tree from the outside
edges. Requires laboratory analysis for diagnosis.
✔✔Powdery Mildew - ✔✔The fungus that causes this plant disease is most visible
outside of its host as a mass of white mycelium and spores
✔✔Rust - ✔✔Cedar apple, or Juniper Rust, will infect both crabapples and junipers in a
cycle where junipers are more resilient to the fungus than crabapples. It starts as bright
yellow to orange spots on crabapples and then produce spore releasing structures to
travel and infect Juniper trees which will produce large brown solid structures and spore
horns to then infect the crabapples. Starting the cycle over again.
✔✔Rhizosphaera needlecast - ✔✔New Blue Spruce shoots generally at the bottom of
the tree will be infected but do not show signs for 1-3 years. As the infection progresses,
the tree loses needles and loses its value as it becomes unsightly
✔✔Galls - ✔✔abnormal growths of plant tissue in response to organisms feeding off it
(bacteria, fungi, nematodes, mites, and insects) They usually do not affect the health or
vigor of the plant
✔✔Iron chlorosis - ✔✔a yellowing of plant leaves caused by low iron levels in a plant,
caused by many types of environmental stresses. However, it is typically caused by
alkaline soil (pH above 7.0), compacted or poorly drained soil.
✔✔Stem Cankers - ✔✔Affects the twigs, branches, and main trunk of the tree. Appear
as sunken area of darkened tissue on twigs or branches. Typically caused by fungi that
produce fruiting bodies [those which contain sacs of spores (asci or conidia)]
✔✔Contact (protectant) fungicide - ✔✔Act as a chemical barrier on leaf, stem, or flower
surfaces. Must be applied before symptoms begin showing
✔✔Systemic (penetrant) Fungicides - ✔✔Penetrates the plant and enters the vascular
system. Non-local fungicides can move anywhere in the plant (even to the roots).
Applied at the very beginning of the infection to stop the development of the fungus
✔✔Local Systemic Fungicide - ✔✔When applied to the plant foliage, the fungicide is
taken into the leaf and enters the vascular system but does not travel far.
✔✔How is the fungicide application timing influenced by the host plant? - ✔✔Applying
fungicide during times of slow growth is ideal. If the host plant grows too fast most of the
new shoots and leaves will not be protected. If applied during times of growth, use
shorter intervals between sprays
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Red Oak - ✔✔Deciduous, 7-9 lobes, leaves less glossy, and have smaller
indentations than black oak
✔✔River Birch - ✔✔Deciduous, papery/flaky bark, diamond-shaped leaves with double
serrated edges
✔✔Sycamore - ✔✔Deciduous, brown rough bark at base that transitions to a smooth
white in the canopy, 3-5 lobes, very wide leaves (4"-7"), pointed edges
✔✔Tulip Tree - ✔✔Deciduous, VERY distinct leaves, 4 lobes, very smooth edges
✔✔White Ash - ✔✔Deciduous, (virtually extinct due to emerald ash borer, often only
find dead white ash snags), has opposite leaves (leaves shoot off in pairs), very long
and thinner leaves, the tip is very tapered and skinny
✔✔Crabapple - ✔✔Alternate leaf arrangement (leaves do not shoot off in pairs and
alternate sides), oval-shaped leaves, edges are serrated, single red berry fruit
✔✔Euonymus - ✔✔Opposite leaf arrangement, oval-shaped leaves with serrated
edges, young plants can be used as ground cover but can develop into a shrub.
✔✔Lilac - ✔✔Opposite leaf arrangement, teardrop-shaped leaves, round at leaf base,
long tapered tip of leaf, smooth edges
✔✔Cherry - ✔✔Very similar to lilac BUT with alternate leaf arrangement and serrated
edges with jagged teeth
✔✔Pear - ✔✔Alternate leaf arrangement, teardrop-shaped leaves, serrated edges
without jagged teeth
✔✔Redbud - ✔✔Alternate glossy, heart-shaped leaves, 3"-5" wide and long, thin stems.
✔✔Rose - ✔✔Compound leaves (a bunch of leaflets where one simple leaf would be),
thorns, toothed leaves, flowers easy noticeable
✔✔Define "symptoms" of plant injury - ✔✔How a plant "responds" to a pathogen or
disorder (usually obvious in visuals or by their yield)
✔✔Define "signs" of plant injury... - ✔✔Visually able to see the pathogen (white powder
with powdery mildew)
,✔✔List common symptoms of plant injury - ✔✔Color change, wilting, brown/necrotic
regions, etc.
✔✔List common signs of plant injury - ✔✔Red rust on leaves or stems (cedar apple
rust), white powder (powdery mildew), green olive spots (scab)
✔✔Contrast the terms biotic and abiotic - ✔✔Biotic (living) pertains to a living organism
that is suppressing plant growth and yield (ex: fungi, bacteria, viruses)
Abiotic pertains to nonliving variables that affect plant growth and yield (ex: watering,
temp, soil pH)
✔✔List common biotic problems of landscape ornamentals - ✔✔Fungi, Bacteria,
Viruses, Nematodes
✔✔List common abiotic problems of landscape ornamentals - ✔✔Temp, Soil pH,
Mechanical injuries (construction, weather, compaction, feeding damage by birds and
mammals (but NOT insects!)
✔✔List three components of the disease triangle - ✔✔1) Pathogen (Fungus, bacteria,
virus)
2) Host (plant that can get sick)
3) Environment (conditions favorable to a particular disease)
✔✔Explain the relationship among the components of the disease triangle and the
development of plant disease - ✔✔A disease will not develop unless all three factors
(Pathogen, Host, Environment) are present for a specific period of time. The pathogen
needs a good environment and a weak host to take over and reduce yield and growth.
✔✔Anthracnose - ✔✔Leaf spot and stem disease caused by fungi. Affects many trees
but particularly on birch, dogwood, white oak, maple, and sycamore
✔✔Apple Scab - ✔✔Brown/olive-green roughly circular spots on Crabapple leaves,
caused by fungi
✔✔Diplodia Tip Blight - ✔✔Mostly affects Austrian Pines but can also damage Scotch,
Red, and Mugo pines. Well-established plants are hit the hardest (15-30 years old).
Stunting and browning of current-year shoots in the lower branches.
✔✔Fire Blight - ✔✔A bacterial disease that first appears in blooming. The ends of twigs
and branches assume a crooked appearance resembling a fishhook
, ✔✔Oak Wilt - ✔✔A fungal disease that affects the xylem (water transport) of the Oak.
Wilt on leaf edge that moves inwards eventually defoliating the tree from the outside
edges. Requires laboratory analysis for diagnosis.
✔✔Powdery Mildew - ✔✔The fungus that causes this plant disease is most visible
outside of its host as a mass of white mycelium and spores
✔✔Rust - ✔✔Cedar apple, or Juniper Rust, will infect both crabapples and junipers in a
cycle where junipers are more resilient to the fungus than crabapples. It starts as bright
yellow to orange spots on crabapples and then produce spore releasing structures to
travel and infect Juniper trees which will produce large brown solid structures and spore
horns to then infect the crabapples. Starting the cycle over again.
✔✔Rhizosphaera needlecast - ✔✔New Blue Spruce shoots generally at the bottom of
the tree will be infected but do not show signs for 1-3 years. As the infection progresses,
the tree loses needles and loses its value as it becomes unsightly
✔✔Galls - ✔✔abnormal growths of plant tissue in response to organisms feeding off it
(bacteria, fungi, nematodes, mites, and insects) They usually do not affect the health or
vigor of the plant
✔✔Iron chlorosis - ✔✔a yellowing of plant leaves caused by low iron levels in a plant,
caused by many types of environmental stresses. However, it is typically caused by
alkaline soil (pH above 7.0), compacted or poorly drained soil.
✔✔Stem Cankers - ✔✔Affects the twigs, branches, and main trunk of the tree. Appear
as sunken area of darkened tissue on twigs or branches. Typically caused by fungi that
produce fruiting bodies [those which contain sacs of spores (asci or conidia)]
✔✔Contact (protectant) fungicide - ✔✔Act as a chemical barrier on leaf, stem, or flower
surfaces. Must be applied before symptoms begin showing
✔✔Systemic (penetrant) Fungicides - ✔✔Penetrates the plant and enters the vascular
system. Non-local fungicides can move anywhere in the plant (even to the roots).
Applied at the very beginning of the infection to stop the development of the fungus
✔✔Local Systemic Fungicide - ✔✔When applied to the plant foliage, the fungicide is
taken into the leaf and enters the vascular system but does not travel far.
✔✔How is the fungicide application timing influenced by the host plant? - ✔✔Applying
fungicide during times of slow growth is ideal. If the host plant grows too fast most of the
new shoots and leaves will not be protected. If applied during times of growth, use
shorter intervals between sprays
