What method is used to prevent pests through the use of weather or environmental conditions?

Cultural control refers to practices that modify the environment or agricultural practices to suppress pest populations. This method can include altering planting dates to avoid peak pest populations or using crop rotation to disrupt pest life cycles. By aligning agricultural practices with weather and environmental conditions, cultural control effectively reduces the likelihood of pests establishing or causing damage to crops.

In contrast, the other methods listed involve different approaches. Genetic control focuses on modifying the genetics of plants to improve their resistance to pests. Pheromone traps are used to attract and capture pests based on their mating signals, thus providing a targeted method of pest control. Mechanical control involves using physical barriers or mechanical devices to manage pests, such as row covers or traps. Each of these alternatives, while also valuable in pest management, does not specifically emphasize the manipulation of environmental conditions to prevent pest infestations like cultural control does.