Which statement about cultural control practices is true?

Cultural control practices are agricultural techniques aimed at managing pests through practices that alter the environment, crop conditions, or agricultural practices. These methods include crop rotation, intercropping, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and optimizing planting times and densities.

The reason this option is correct is that cultural controls effectively create conditions that reduce the likelihood of pest establishment and reproduction. By disrupting pest life cycles or making the environment less favorable for pests, many cultural practices can diminish pest populations and the impact they have on crops. For instance, rotating crops can break the cycle of pests that thrive on specific plants, thereby lessening their prevalence in the field.

The other statements do not align with the essence of cultural control practices. They do not significantly increase pest populations; rather, they aim to do the opposite. Cultural controls can often be low-cost and accessible methods for pest management, standing in contrast to the notion that they are expensive and not commonly used. Lastly, these practices do not primarily rely on chemical pesticides; rather, they focus on non-chemical means of pest management, reducing the need for chemical interventions.