Washington Pesticide Laws and Safety Practice Test

What is meant by an economic threshold in pest management?

1. The cost of applying control measures

2. The level of pest tolerance by the crop

3. The level or density of a pest population where control measures need to be applied to prevent the pest from reaching the economic injury level

4. The pest population density at which the crop begins to experience damage

The correct answer is: The level or density of a pest population where control measures need to be applied to prevent the pest from reaching the economic injury level

An economic threshold is the point at which the cost of controlling a pest is equal to the value of the damage caused by the pest. This means that applying control measures before the economic threshold is reached may be unnecessary and cost more than the potential damage by the pest. Option A is incorrect because the economic threshold is not just based on the cost of control measures, but also takes into consideration the potential value of the crop. Option B is incorrect because it refers to the level of tolerance for a pest, rather than the economic threshold. Option D is incorrect because it only mentions the point at which damage begins, not the economic implications of pest control measures. The correct answer, option C, is the level or density of the pest population at which control measures should be applied to avoid reaching the economic injury level, which is when the cost of damage caused by the pest outweighs the cost of control measures.