Question

how do farmers control microbial and pest infection in crop plants?

Answer 1

Microbes cause many plant diseases and are called plant pathogens. Pest also cause severe damage to crops. Many insects are vectors of bacteria and virus that can cause diseases in plants.
Microbes and pest can be controlled by the application of various chemicals such as fungicides, bactericides and insecticides.
Besides the use of chemicals, there are many preventive measures that a farmer can take to control microbes and pest in order to protect crops. These are as follows-

1. Use of disease and insects free certified seeds
2. Use of disease resistant crop varieties
3. Avoid plantation of similar plants together, instead farmers should plant alternate groups of different plants either in rows or patches.
4. Crop residues should be burnt after harvesting, as it may contain spores of many plant pathogens.
5. Diseased plant should be destroyed.
6. Crop rotation.
7. Insect traps can be used for insect pest.