Virginia Commercial Applicator Category 3B Turf Pest Control Key Terms Questions and Answers with complete

Calibrate - Answer-To measure the delivery rate and distribution of application equipment; to adjust application equipment so the desired amount of pesticide is applied evenly to a given area. Disease - Answer-An abnormal, unhealthy condition. Turf diseases may be caused by abiotic or biotic factors. However, they are typically due to infectious organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Exclusion - Answer-Using some sort of barrier to keep a pest out of an area. Exposure - Answer-Coming in contact with a pesticide either by ingestion (oral), inhalation, or absorption through the skin (dermal). Habitat - Answer-A specific area or environment in which an organism normally lives. Insect - Answer-An arthropod with three body regions: a head (front), a thorax (middle), and an abdomen (rear). Most insects have one pair of antennae on the head, two pairs of Wings, and three pairs of legs on the thorax. Most have complex mouthparts adapted for a special type of feeding. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Answer-VA management system that uses all appropriate pest control strategies to reduce pest populations to an acceptable level. IPM uses an ecological approach to pest management. Life Cycle - Answer-An 0rganism's progression through developmental stages. As some organisms go through their life cycle, they change in body form and habits. Mite - Answer-A small arachnid with eight legs in the adult stage. Mites have a single body region, which seems to lack segmentation. Some mites are plant pests. Mollusk - Answer-A soft-bodied animal. A mollusk does not have a backbone. Mollusks have a hard calcium-based shell covering its body. Clams, snails, and slugs are mollusks.Monitoring - Answer-The process of assessing-"keeping tabs on"—the size and distribution of a pest population in an area. Natural Controls - Answer-Natural forces that affect pest populations. Examples include climate, natural enemies, natural barriers, and the availability of food, water, and shelter. These natural forces act independently and may either help or hinder human attempts to control pests. Nematode - Answer-A small, unsegmented roundworm. Most nematodes are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Leaching - Answer-Movement of a substance (such as a pesticide) in solution downward through soil. Nematicide - Answer-A pesticide that controls nematodes. Parasite - Answer-An organism that obtains its food from another living thing, and in so doing, harms that organism (its host). The disease organism is the parasite, and the infected organism is the host. Perennial - Answer-A plant that lives for more than two growing seasons. Pesticide - Answer-Any substance used to control or repel a pest, or to reduce the unwanted or harmful effects of a pest. Phloem - Answer-A specialized plant tissue, that conducts food. Phytotoxicity - Answer-Injury or damage to a sensitive plant caused by a chemical exposure. Poling - Answer-Brushing the surface of a turf stand with long, limber bamboo poles. This practice helps remove water from leaves. Poling bermudagrass golf greens in early morning helps to get rid of dew. Predator - Answer-An animal which hunts and kills other animals for food.Relative Humidity (RH) - Answer-A temperature-specific measure of the amount of moisture held in the air. RH is the ratio of the amount of water vapor in air at a specific temperature to the amount of Water vapor required for saturation at that temperature. Resistance - Answer-The ability of a plant to withstand infection or attack by a pest. There are levels of resistance. For example, some plant strains may be susceptible, weakly resistant, or strongly resistant to a specific type of pest. Total resistance is "immunity."