Question

Read the following statements and choose the correct option that best describes the relation between them.
Assertion: Eradication of entire population of crop pests is undesirable.
Reason: Chemical pesticides kill both useful and harmful life forms in an agriculture field.

• A. Both assertion and reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation for the assertion.
• B. Both assertion and reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation for the assertion.
• C. Only assertion is true
• D. Both assertion and reason are false

Answer 1

The correct option is B Both assertion and reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation for the assertion.

Biopesticides are the pesticides composed of living organisms or their products which are used in agriculture for the control of pests. They are used to minimise the dependence on chemical pesticides which are toxic and extremely harmful to all life forms and the environment as well.
Apart from polluting the soil and groundwater, chemical pesticides also indiscriminately kill both beneficial and harmful microbes, insects, etc in an agricultural ecosystem. Thus they are being replaced by pesticides of biological origin.

Eradication of the entire pest population using chemical is not desirable as it leads to the eradication of the predators or parasites which are dependent on the pest for their survival and might be beneficial to us. This disturbs the eqilibrium of the ecosystem and might lead to its collapse.

Biological control of pests using biopesticides involves the use of natural predators of a pest species, to keep its growth in check. It does not involve eradication of the entire pest population but aims at keeping the population size at a manageable level to maintain a sustainable ecosystem.

Thus, both assertion and reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation for the assertion.