AGRI 32 – Fundamentals of Crop Science II

Week 09/April 26-May 7, 2021

Laboratory Exercise No. 7 – Integrated Pest Management

WORKSHEET 7

7.1. Bagging of fruit

Explain the principle of fruit bagging and its effect on the fruit in terms of relative sizes,
shapes, and appearance. Give examples of fruits that are bagged and the suitable materials
that can be used in the identified crop.

Discussion:
Fruit bagging prevents insect pests from finding and damaging the fruits,especially
fruit flies. The bag provides physical protection from mechanical injuries (scars and
scratches) and prevents female flies' laying activities, latex burns, and fungal spots on the
fruits. Bagging can determine numerous changes in the physiology of the fruit and in the
preservation of its characteristics--sizes, shapes, and appearance.
The examples of fruits that are bagged are melon, bitter gourd, mango, guava and
banana, the suitable material that can be used in the above mentioned crops are plastic
bags.

7.2. Metalaxyl treatment of corn seeds

Explain the principle of treating corn seeds with metalaxyl and its effect on the corn plants in
terms of growth and appearance. Explain the mechanism of control of downy mildew using
metalaxyl.

Discussion:

Metalaxyl is a systemic fungicide that is effective against oomycetes. It is widely used

as a soil or seed treatment for Pythium and Phytophthora seed rot and damping-off control,
as well as a soil treatment for Phytophthora stem rots and cankers in annuals and
perennials, and for the control of certain downy mildews (e.g. tobacco). It can also be used
as a curative treatment if used after the infection has started. Metalaxyl is highly water
soluble and readily translocated from roots to aerial parts of most plants, though lateral
translocation is minimal. Metalaxyl should be used in conjunction with other broad-
spectrum fungicides because it has already resulted in the appearance of strains resistant to
it in some pathogens.

Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science

University of the Philippines Los Baños
 AGRI 32 – Fundamentals of Crop Science II

7.3. Draining of transplanted wetland rice for golden apple snail control
Instruction: Interpret the data given in the table below. Explain your answer.

Number of Number of
Number of Number of
Water Regime destroyed standing
active snails inactive snails
seedlings seedlings
Drained 0 25 0 20
Flooded 20 5 12 8

Discussion:
Based on the data given in the table, it can be seen that it has a positive effect under
the Drained water regime for the reason that golden apple snails are able to spread through
irrigation canals, natural water distribution pathways, and during flooding events. It is
considered a major problem with rice. Thus, when water is absent, golden apple snails are
able to bury themselves in the mud and hibernate for a while. When water is re-applied to
fields, snails may emerge.

7.4. Flooding of transplanted wetland rice for weed control

Instruction: Interpret the data given in the table below. Explain your answer.

Number of weed seedlings

Water Regime
per 50 cm x 50 cm
Drained 10
Flooded 3

Discussion:

Based on the data given in the table, it can be seen that it has a positive effect under
the Flooded water regime for the reason that flooding of fields is the most effective method
of cultural control of weeds in wetland rice. Flooding prevents germination of most weed
seeds and kills the majority of weed seedlings. Normally, flooding is used in conjunction with
other control measures, such as herbicides or hand weeding. However, for flooding to be
successful, water levels must be maintained and fields well levelled to ensure an even depth
of water.

Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science

University of the Philippines Los Baños
 AGRI 32 – Fundamentals of Crop Science II

7.5. Glyphosate for selective weed control in conservation tillage

Instruction: Interpret the data given in the table below. Explain your answer.

Percent Damage Based on Unweeded Plot

Manner of Use of Glyphosate
Mungbean Weeds
Sprayed over mungbean and
100% 100%
weeds
Sprayed on emerged weeds
after land preparation after
0% 100%
which mung bean seeds were
sown in rows

Discussion:

Based on the data given in the table, it can be seen that it has a positive effect under
the Manner of Spraying after land preparation because the percent damage is 0% compared
to the other manner of use which is 100%.

Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science

University of the Philippines Los Baños
 AGRI 32 – Fundamentals of Crop Science II

Laboratory Exercise No. 7 – Integrated Pest Management

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What are the low-cost alternative bagging materials to commercial fruit bags? (2 pts)
How do they differ in terms of controlling insect pests like fruitfly in cucurbits? (3 pts)

Plastic and Paper bags are the low-cost alternative bagging materials to
commercial fruit bags, I think in terms of controlling pest like fruitfly using plastic bags is
much recommendable to use paper bags rather than plastic for it has a deleterious effect
on the characteristics essential for cucurbit commercialization.

2. In a lowland rice field, how do you employ water management to control the activity of
golden apple snail and growth of weeds? (5 pts)

Referencing from Rice Knowledge Bank, golden apple snails have difficulty
moving in less than 2 cm of water. Keep water level below 2 cm during the vulnerable
stages of the rice plant.

Construct small canals or canalettes (e.g., 15−25 cm wide and 5 cm deep) after the
final land preparation. Pull a sack containing a heavy object around the edges of rice
paddies or at 10−15 m intervals. Canalettes facilitate drainage and act as focal points
for snails making manual collection or killing easier.

3. Other than being used in treating corn seeds, why is it recommended to use metalaxyl in
combination with broad-spectrum fungicides? (5 pts)

Metalaxyl should be used in conjunction with other broad-spectrum fungicides

because it has already resulted in the appearance of strains resistant to it in some
pathogens. It is also effective as a curative treatment if it has to be applied after infection
has begun.

4. What is the specific mode of action of glyphosate in emerged crops? (5 pts)

Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science

University of the Philippines Los Baños
 AGRI 32 – Fundamentals of Crop Science II
Glyphosate disrupts the shikimic acid pathway by inhibiting the enzyme synthase,
which it targets in crops. Glyphosate is absorbed by plants through their leaves and stems
and then transported throughout the plant. The meristem tissue is where it concentrates.
Glyphosate's sodium salt can act as a plant growth regulator, speeding up the ripening of
certain crops.

5. Among the component control methods, what is usually the last resort in IPM? Is it
always the case in farmers’ field? (5 pts)

Under IPM, chemicals should be used only as a last resort only, but when used,
the least-toxic materials should be chosen, and applied to minimize exposure to humans and
all non-target organisms and most of the time it is in the case of farmer’s field.

Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science

University of the Philippines Los Baños