NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMERCIAL PESTICIDE APPLICATOR
CATEGORY A3 EXAM — AGRICULTURAL PEST CONTROL,
FIELD CROPS QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS .PDF
New Hampshire Commercial Pesticide Applicator Category A3 Exam
Agricultural Pest Control — Field Crops
200 Practice Questions with Correct Answers and Rationales
Purpose: This original practice examination is designed to help candidates prepare for the New
Hampshire Commercial Pesticide Applicator Category A3 — Agricultural Pest Control, Field
Crops examination. It covers field-crop pest management, pesticide safety, application practices,
calibration, crop protection, environmental stewardship, Worker Protection Standard concepts,
recordkeeping, and New Hampshire regulatory considerations.
Table of Contents
Section 1 — Field Crops, Pest Identification, and Pest Biology: Q1–Q40
Section 2 — Integrated Pest Management and Management Decisions: Q41–Q80
Section 3 — Pesticide Selection, Formulations, Application, and Calibration: Q81–Q120
Section 4 — Crop Safety, Harvest Restrictions, Soil, Water, and Environmental
Stewardship: Q121–Q160
Section 5 — New Hampshire Requirements, Worker Protection, Records, and Field
Scenarios: Q161–Q200
Section 1 — Field Crops, Pest Identification, and Pest Biology
Questions 1–40
Q1. Which crop is specifically within the New Hampshire A3 Field Crops category?
A. Apple
B. Potato
C. Strawberry
D. Christmas tree
Correct answer: B. Potato
Rationale: Potatoes are identified by UNH Cooperative Extension as a field crop within the A3
category. Apples and strawberries are associated with other agricultural pest-control categories.
Q2. What is the primary purpose of correctly identifying a pest before selecting a pesticide?
,A. To determine the color of the pesticide container
B. To ensure the control method is appropriate for the pest and crop
C. To eliminate the need to read the label
D. To determine the pesticide's retail price
Correct answer: B. To ensure the control method is appropriate for the pest and crop
Rationale: Pest identification allows the applicator to select an effective and legally appropriate
management strategy. Applying a product without confirming the target pest can result in
ineffective control and unnecessary pesticide exposure.
Q3. Which organism is most likely classified as a weed?
A. Common lambsquarters
B. Colorado potato beetle
C. European corn borer
D. Potato late blight pathogen
Correct answer: A. Common lambsquarters
Rationale: Common lambsquarters is a broadleaf weed that competes with crops. The other
choices are an insect or plant pathogens.
Q4. A crop plant is losing leaves because an insect is chewing holes in them. Which pest
type best describes the insect?
A. Chewing insect
B. Soil fumigant
C. Plant pathogen
D. Nematode
Correct answer: A. Chewing insect
Rationale: Insects that remove plant tissue by chewing produce holes, notches, or missing
portions of leaves. Aphids and other piercing-sucking insects feed differently.
Q5. Which characteristic is most useful when distinguishing an insect pest from a plant
disease?
A. An insect has recognizable body structures and appendages
B. An insect always causes root injury
C. A disease always produces visible insects
D. A disease can be identified solely by pesticide price
Correct answer: A. An insect has recognizable body structures and appendages
,Rationale: Insects have characteristic body regions, legs, antennae, and other structures.
Diseases are caused by organisms or agents such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, or nematodes and
generally require different diagnostic criteria.
Q6. Why can weeds reduce crop yield even when they do not directly injure crop tissues?
A. They compete with crops for resources
B. They sterilize all agricultural soil
C. They eliminate all beneficial insects
D. They automatically make pesticides ineffective
Correct answer: A. They compete with crops for resources
Rationale: Weeds compete for light, water, nutrients, and space. Competition can reduce crop
growth and yield even without direct feeding injury.
Q7. Which pest is commonly associated with feeding on potato foliage?
A. Colorado potato beetle
B. European corn borer
C. Cabbage maggot
D. Onion thrips
Correct answer: A. Colorado potato beetle
Rationale: Colorado potato beetle is an important potato defoliator. Its larvae and adults can
remove substantial foliage when populations are high.
Q8. Why is the life stage of an insect important when planning control?
A. Different stages can differ greatly in susceptibility
B. Every life stage has identical susceptibility
C. Only adult insects can damage crops
D. Eggs are always the easiest stage to control with foliar sprays
Correct answer: A. Different stages can differ greatly in susceptibility
Rationale: Insects can be more vulnerable during particular developmental stages. Correct
timing therefore depends on pest biology as well as the pesticide's mode of action and label
directions.
Q9. A field contains many weeds, but most are mature and have already produced seed.
What concern should an applicator have?
A. The weeds may contribute to the future seedbank
B. Mature weeds cannot affect future production
, C. Mature weeds automatically become beneficial crops
D. Herbicide resistance is impossible in mature weeds
Correct answer: A. The weeds may contribute to the future seedbank
Rationale: Mature weeds that produce seed can replenish the soil seedbank. Preventing seed
production is an important component of long-term weed management.
Q10. Which observation is most useful when diagnosing a crop problem?
A. Symptoms, distribution, crop stage, and environmental conditions
B. Pesticide brand popularity alone
C. Container color
D. Applicator preference
Correct answer: A. Symptoms, distribution, crop stage, and environmental conditions
Rationale: Diagnosis should consider multiple lines of evidence. The pattern of injury and
environmental conditions can distinguish pest damage from nutrient disorders, weather injury,
disease, or pesticide injury.
Q11. Which situation most strongly suggests a soilborne problem?
A. Damage is concentrated around plant roots
B. Damage occurs only on upper leaves
C. Damage is limited to exposed grain
D. Damage occurs only on neighboring buildings
Correct answer: A. Damage is concentrated around plant roots
Rationale: Root-zone symptoms can indicate soilborne pathogens, insects, nematodes, or other
soil-related problems. Additional diagnostic information is still required before selecting a
treatment.
Q12. What is a pest's economic injury level?
A. The pest density at which economic loss equals the cost of control
B. The number of pests required to kill every plant
C. The maximum pesticide application rate
D. The number of pests found in one random sample
Correct answer: A. The pest density at which economic loss equals the cost of control
Rationale: The economic injury level connects pest density with economic loss and control
costs. It is different from an action threshold, which is the point at which management should
begin to prevent reaching that level.
Q13. What is an action threshold?
CATEGORY A3 EXAM — AGRICULTURAL PEST CONTROL,
FIELD CROPS QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS .PDF
New Hampshire Commercial Pesticide Applicator Category A3 Exam
Agricultural Pest Control — Field Crops
200 Practice Questions with Correct Answers and Rationales
Purpose: This original practice examination is designed to help candidates prepare for the New
Hampshire Commercial Pesticide Applicator Category A3 — Agricultural Pest Control, Field
Crops examination. It covers field-crop pest management, pesticide safety, application practices,
calibration, crop protection, environmental stewardship, Worker Protection Standard concepts,
recordkeeping, and New Hampshire regulatory considerations.
Table of Contents
Section 1 — Field Crops, Pest Identification, and Pest Biology: Q1–Q40
Section 2 — Integrated Pest Management and Management Decisions: Q41–Q80
Section 3 — Pesticide Selection, Formulations, Application, and Calibration: Q81–Q120
Section 4 — Crop Safety, Harvest Restrictions, Soil, Water, and Environmental
Stewardship: Q121–Q160
Section 5 — New Hampshire Requirements, Worker Protection, Records, and Field
Scenarios: Q161–Q200
Section 1 — Field Crops, Pest Identification, and Pest Biology
Questions 1–40
Q1. Which crop is specifically within the New Hampshire A3 Field Crops category?
A. Apple
B. Potato
C. Strawberry
D. Christmas tree
Correct answer: B. Potato
Rationale: Potatoes are identified by UNH Cooperative Extension as a field crop within the A3
category. Apples and strawberries are associated with other agricultural pest-control categories.
Q2. What is the primary purpose of correctly identifying a pest before selecting a pesticide?
,A. To determine the color of the pesticide container
B. To ensure the control method is appropriate for the pest and crop
C. To eliminate the need to read the label
D. To determine the pesticide's retail price
Correct answer: B. To ensure the control method is appropriate for the pest and crop
Rationale: Pest identification allows the applicator to select an effective and legally appropriate
management strategy. Applying a product without confirming the target pest can result in
ineffective control and unnecessary pesticide exposure.
Q3. Which organism is most likely classified as a weed?
A. Common lambsquarters
B. Colorado potato beetle
C. European corn borer
D. Potato late blight pathogen
Correct answer: A. Common lambsquarters
Rationale: Common lambsquarters is a broadleaf weed that competes with crops. The other
choices are an insect or plant pathogens.
Q4. A crop plant is losing leaves because an insect is chewing holes in them. Which pest
type best describes the insect?
A. Chewing insect
B. Soil fumigant
C. Plant pathogen
D. Nematode
Correct answer: A. Chewing insect
Rationale: Insects that remove plant tissue by chewing produce holes, notches, or missing
portions of leaves. Aphids and other piercing-sucking insects feed differently.
Q5. Which characteristic is most useful when distinguishing an insect pest from a plant
disease?
A. An insect has recognizable body structures and appendages
B. An insect always causes root injury
C. A disease always produces visible insects
D. A disease can be identified solely by pesticide price
Correct answer: A. An insect has recognizable body structures and appendages
,Rationale: Insects have characteristic body regions, legs, antennae, and other structures.
Diseases are caused by organisms or agents such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, or nematodes and
generally require different diagnostic criteria.
Q6. Why can weeds reduce crop yield even when they do not directly injure crop tissues?
A. They compete with crops for resources
B. They sterilize all agricultural soil
C. They eliminate all beneficial insects
D. They automatically make pesticides ineffective
Correct answer: A. They compete with crops for resources
Rationale: Weeds compete for light, water, nutrients, and space. Competition can reduce crop
growth and yield even without direct feeding injury.
Q7. Which pest is commonly associated with feeding on potato foliage?
A. Colorado potato beetle
B. European corn borer
C. Cabbage maggot
D. Onion thrips
Correct answer: A. Colorado potato beetle
Rationale: Colorado potato beetle is an important potato defoliator. Its larvae and adults can
remove substantial foliage when populations are high.
Q8. Why is the life stage of an insect important when planning control?
A. Different stages can differ greatly in susceptibility
B. Every life stage has identical susceptibility
C. Only adult insects can damage crops
D. Eggs are always the easiest stage to control with foliar sprays
Correct answer: A. Different stages can differ greatly in susceptibility
Rationale: Insects can be more vulnerable during particular developmental stages. Correct
timing therefore depends on pest biology as well as the pesticide's mode of action and label
directions.
Q9. A field contains many weeds, but most are mature and have already produced seed.
What concern should an applicator have?
A. The weeds may contribute to the future seedbank
B. Mature weeds cannot affect future production
, C. Mature weeds automatically become beneficial crops
D. Herbicide resistance is impossible in mature weeds
Correct answer: A. The weeds may contribute to the future seedbank
Rationale: Mature weeds that produce seed can replenish the soil seedbank. Preventing seed
production is an important component of long-term weed management.
Q10. Which observation is most useful when diagnosing a crop problem?
A. Symptoms, distribution, crop stage, and environmental conditions
B. Pesticide brand popularity alone
C. Container color
D. Applicator preference
Correct answer: A. Symptoms, distribution, crop stage, and environmental conditions
Rationale: Diagnosis should consider multiple lines of evidence. The pattern of injury and
environmental conditions can distinguish pest damage from nutrient disorders, weather injury,
disease, or pesticide injury.
Q11. Which situation most strongly suggests a soilborne problem?
A. Damage is concentrated around plant roots
B. Damage occurs only on upper leaves
C. Damage is limited to exposed grain
D. Damage occurs only on neighboring buildings
Correct answer: A. Damage is concentrated around plant roots
Rationale: Root-zone symptoms can indicate soilborne pathogens, insects, nematodes, or other
soil-related problems. Additional diagnostic information is still required before selecting a
treatment.
Q12. What is a pest's economic injury level?
A. The pest density at which economic loss equals the cost of control
B. The number of pests required to kill every plant
C. The maximum pesticide application rate
D. The number of pests found in one random sample
Correct answer: A. The pest density at which economic loss equals the cost of control
Rationale: The economic injury level connects pest density with economic loss and control
costs. It is different from an action threshold, which is the point at which management should
begin to prevent reaching that level.
Q13. What is an action threshold?
