11
Question
State whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):
I - Chemical pesticides pollute the environment.
II - Biopesticides aim at eradicating the pest population.
III - Eradication of pest population affects the stability of the ecosystem.
State whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):
I - Chemical pesticides pollute the environment.
II - Biopesticides aim at eradicating the pest population.
III - Eradication of pest population affects the stability of the ecosystem.
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Solution
The correct option is B I - T, II - F, III - T
Statement I is true: The Green Revolution in the mid 1960s introduced the use of agrochemicals, i.e, chemical fertilisers and pesticides for increasing crop yield. Increasing use of chemical pesticides over the years has resulted in degradation of the environment.
This is because these toxic chemicals pollute the soil and groundwater by changing the natural composition of the soil, creating pH and nutrient imbalance. Pesticides may accumulate on the crops and enter the food chain. Sometimes pesticide particles sprayed onto the crops remain suspended in the air and can be inhaled, causing respiratory disorders.
Moreover chemical pesticides also lead to the death of both beneficial and harmful microbes, insects, etc in the ecosystem which is not desirable.
Statement II is False: Biopesticides are the pesticides derived from living organisms which are used in agriculture for the control of pests. They are used to minimise the dependence on chemical pesticides.
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.
Statement III is true: Eradication of the entire pest population 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.
More the biodiversity in an agricultural ecosystem, the more stable it is. Eradication of any one species might eventually lead to the eradication of other species which are linked to it in a food chain. This can ultimately cause the ecosystem to collapse.
Statement I is true: The Green Revolution in the mid 1960s introduced the use of agrochemicals, i.e, chemical fertilisers and pesticides for increasing crop yield. Increasing use of chemical pesticides over the years has resulted in degradation of the environment.
This is because these toxic chemicals pollute the soil and groundwater by changing the natural composition of the soil, creating pH and nutrient imbalance. Pesticides may accumulate on the crops and enter the food chain. Sometimes pesticide particles sprayed onto the crops remain suspended in the air and can be inhaled, causing respiratory disorders.
Moreover chemical pesticides also lead to the death of both beneficial and harmful microbes, insects, etc in the ecosystem which is not desirable.
Statement II is False: Biopesticides are the pesticides derived from living organisms which are used in agriculture for the control of pests. They are used to minimise the dependence on chemical pesticides.
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.
Statement III is true: Eradication of the entire pest population 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.
More the biodiversity in an agricultural ecosystem, the more stable it is. Eradication of any one species might eventually lead to the eradication of other species which are linked to it in a food chain. This can ultimately cause the ecosystem to collapse.
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