How can pest management practices affect crop yield?

Effective pest management practices are essential in agriculture as they play a significant role in optimizing crop yields. By controlling pest populations, these practices help to mitigate damage that pests can cause to crops. When pests are effectively managed, plants experience less stress and can grow more vigorously, which directly contributes to higher yields.

Pesticide applications, cultural practices, biological control, and integrated pest management strategies aim to reduce pest pressures, thereby minimizing the competition for resources, such as nutrients, water, and light. Healthy crops are better able to achieve their full growth potential and produce more fruit, grains, or other products than otherwise would occur in the presence of unmanaged pest populations.

In contrast, options that suggest pest management only decreases yields, has no impact, or leads to increased pests misrepresent the dynamic and proactive role that effective pest management plays in agriculture. While ineffective pest management might lead to adverse outcomes, well-planned and implemented strategies enhance agricultural productivity by keeping pest populations in check.