Applicator General Exam Questions

Kansas Commercial Pesticide Applicator (General) Exam Questions & Verified Answers

• Root knot, soybean cyst, and pine wilt are examples of ______

diseases.

Answer: Nematode

A. Nematode (Correct - These are caused by microscopic roundworms) B. Fungus (Incorrect - Fungal diseases include rusts and mildews) C. Bacteria (Incorrect - Bacterial diseases include fire blight) D. Virus (Incorrect - Viral diseases cause mosaics or leaf curling) Rationale: Nematodes are soil-dwelling pests that infect plant roots, forming characteristic galls (root knot) or cysts (soybean cyst).

• Quarantines that regulate plant movement into the country are a

form of disease control called:

Answer: Exclusion

A. Avoidance (Incorrect - Avoidance involves crop rotation or timing) B. Protection (Incorrect - Protection uses barriers/chemicals) C. Exclusion (Correct - Prevents pest entry via regulations) D. Eradication (Incorrect - Eradication eliminates existing pests) Rationale: Exclusion prevents invasive species introduction through legal restrictions.

3. Weeds interfere with crop production by:

Answer: All the above

A. Competing for water (True - Weeds reduce water availability) B. Harboring pest insects (True - Weeds host pests like aphids) C. Releasing soil toxins (True - Allelopathy inhibits crop growth) D. All the above (Correct - All are significant weed impacts) 1 / 3

Rationale: Weeds harm crops through multiple mechanisms.

• All plants, including weeds, have how many growth stages?

Answer: 4

A. 1 (Incorrect - Too simplistic) B. 2 (Incorrect - Missing key phases) C. 3 (Incorrect - Excludes maturity/decline) D. 4 (Correct - Germination, vegetative, reproductive, senescence)

Rationale: Plants progress through four distinct life stages.

• An aquatic plant without a true stem, leaves, or vascular system is

called:

Answer: Algae

A. Broadleaf weed (Incorrect - Has true leaves/stems) B. Annual grass (Incorrect - Vascular and structured) C. Algae (Correct - Simple, non-vascular organism) D. Fungi (Incorrect - Non-photosynthetic)

Rationale: Algae lack complex plant structures.

6. Natural forces are important because:

Answer: They cause pest populations to rise and fall

A. You cannot control them (Incorrect - Irrelevant to pest dynamics) B. They affect pest populations (Correct - Weather/climate drive pest cycles) C. Winter spraying is impossible (Incorrect - Overgeneralization) D. Rain necessitates respraying (Incorrect - Situational, not universal)

Rationale: Temperature, rain, and wind directly influence pest outbreaks.

7. Biological control:

Answer: Is never complete

A. Is always 100% effective (Incorrect - Rarely achieves total eradication) B. Is never complete (Correct - Typically suppresses but doesn't eliminate pests) C. Never occurs naturally (Incorrect - Natural predators exist) D. Always interferes with chemical control (Incorrect - Can be complementary) 2 / 3

Rationale: Biological control reduces pest populations but rarely eliminates them entirely.

8. Resistance to pesticides develops in pest species because:

Answer: Survivors pass resistance to offspring

A. Some applicators use cheap chemicals (Incorrect - Not primary cause) B. Chemical companies plan it (Incorrect - Misconception) C. Pesticides aren't poisonous enough (Incorrect - Irrelevant to resistance) D. Survivors pass resistance (Correct - Natural selection drives resistance)

Rationale: Repeated exposure selects for resistant individuals that reproduce.

9. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices include:

Answer: All the above

A. Chemical pesticides (True - Used judiciously in IPM) B. Cultivation/barriers (True - Cultural/physical controls) C. Sanitation/traps (True - Mechanical controls) D. All the above (Correct - IPM combines multiple strategies) Rationale: IPM integrates chemical, biological, cultural, and mechanical methods.

10. Regarding insects:

Answer: ~99% of species are minor pests

A. Only important to entomologists (Incorrect - Many impact agriculture) B. Must all be killed (Incorrect - Most are benign/beneficial) C. 99% are minor (Correct - Few species are significant pests) D. All feed on human food (Incorrect - Many have no crop impact)

Rationale: Most insect species are ecologically beneficial or neutral.

11. The insect thorax:

Answer: Supports legs and wings

A. Has antennae (Incorrect - Antennae are on the head)

• / 3