Deck 10: Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices

Question 1

Examples of ways that pesticide use can be reduced include

A) monoculture.
B) crop rotation.
C) biological control.
D) monoculture, crop rotation, and biological control.
E) crop rotation and biological control.

Answer 1

crop rotation and biological control.

Question 2

Integrated pest management utilizes

A) zero pesticide applications.
B) a more expensive but equally effective alternative to pesticides.
C) an ecologically-based approach to pest management.
D) All of these choices are correct

Answer 2

an ecologically-based approach to pest management.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Organic agriculture depletes the soil of nutrients more rapidly than conventional agriculture, because there are no fertilizer applications to replenish the soil
B) Organic agriculture leads to healthier soils than conventional methods
C) Organic agriculture currently accounts for less than 1 percent of the farmland in America

Answer 3

Organic agriculture depletes the soil of nutrients more rapidly than conventional agriculture, because there are no fertilizer applications to replenish the soil

Question 4

Which of the following is the most important factor influencing soil drainage?

A) Soil color
B) Soil faunal content
C) Soil organic content
D) Soil texture

Question 5

Persistent pollutants tend to accumulate in polar regions because

A) they are more stable at lower temperatures.
B) there are no crops to absorb them there.
C) they evaporate in warm areas and condense in cold areas.
D) ionic effects move them toward the poles.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT true of the Brazilian Cerrado?

A) It is a fertile rainforest
B) It has more than 100,000 species of plants and animals
C) Its soil is acidic and nutrient poor
D) It is a major source of soybeans
E) It is one of the fastest growing agricultural areas in the world

Question 7

Reduced tillage agricultural systems

A) consume less energy than conventional systems.
B) lead to less soil degradation.
C) require more energy than conventional systems.
D) consume less energy than conventional systems and lead to less soil degradation.
E) lead to less soil degradation and require more energy than conventional systems.

Question 8

The problem of soil erosion has been largely eliminated in the U.S.

Question 9

A substantial portion of pesticides used do not reach their intended target pests.

Question 10

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are characterized by all of the following except

A) they disrupt nervous system function.
B) they are fast acting.
C) they accumulate in fat tissue.
D) they degrade quickly in the environment.

Question 11

Pesticide resistance

A) has emerged in a few species but more cases are expected.
B) used to be a problem but modern pesticides are typically not susceptible to this problem.
C) has arisen in hundreds of species.
D) has arisen only among insects.

Question 12

Natural organic pesticides are

A) extracted from plants.
B) toxic to insects.
C) all non-toxic to humans.
D) extracted from plants and toxic to insects.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 13

Which of the following is the most correct definition of soil?

A) A complex of minerals that provide energy for the growth of plants
B) A complex mixture of organic matter, minerals, and living organisms
C) A mass of dead organic matter and detritus: dirt
D) An elaborate mixture of organic matter and minerals
E) All of these adequately describe soil

Question 14

Relying on natural predators to control pests is but one of many nonpesticide options farmers can use in an approach known as biological control.

Question 15

Crop rotation can be an effective alternative to pesticides to control pests.

Question 16

Herbicides are pesticides that kill plants.

Question 17

Chemicals were first used to kill or ward off pests

A) thousands of years ago.
B) since the beginning of modern chemistry several hundred years ago.
C) about 70 years ago.
D) during World War II.

Question 18

Mycorrhizal symbiosis reveals fungi to be more damaging to plant growth than originally believed.

Question 19

Over ____________ pest species have so far evolved resistance to pesticides.

A) 1500
B) 300
C) 100
D) 50

Question 20

Humans use pesticides

A) because, like other organisms, they are competing with other species for food and survival.
B) to maintain yields and protect crops from insect outbreaks.
C) to add nutrients to the soil, guaranteeing larger fruit.
D) because, like other organisms, they are competing with other species for food and survival and to maintain yields and protect crops from insect outbreaks.

Question 21

The parent material layer of a soil is composed of weathered ______.

A) Humus
B) Organic detritus and roots
C) Residual aluminum and iron
D) Soil
E) Rock fragments

Question 22

Spaces between sand particles give sandy soil

A) The ability to hold water
B) Low permeability to air
C) Good drainage
D) The ability to store minerals
E) Low permeability to water

Question 23

The richest farming soils that form under the grasslands of central North America and under moist deciduous forests are the ________.

A) Latisols and aridisols
B) Ultisols and mollisols
C) Mollisols and alfisols
D) Entisols and ultisols
E) Alfisols and ultisols

Question 24

What is the correct order of the soil horizons from top down?

A) O, E, A, B
B) A, E, O, B
C) O, A, E, B
D) A, B, E, O

Question 25

The efficiency of irrigation water use is ______ in most countries. One of the reasons for this is ______.

A) High; the abundance of water
B) High; the careful use of water because it is so expensive
C) High; the technology to distribute the water where it is needed
D) Low; the lack of availability of technology to distribute the water where it is needed
E) Low; evaporative losses from unprotected water channeling

Question 26

An effective way to measure soil erosion in a region is to measure the

A) Amount of dust in the air
B) Sediment load of rivers
C) Amount lost on crop fields
D) Distance the dust travels
E) All of these are effective ways to measure the loss

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a correct match?

A) O Horizon: Humus
B) E Horizon: Eluviation
C) A Horizon: Topsoil
D) B Horizon: Parent Material

Question 28

Which of the following would have nearly zero topsoil?

A) Virgin prairies
B) Deserts
C) Tropical rainforests
D) Tundra
E) None of these is correct

Question 29

Which of the following CANNOT be found in soil?

A) Fungus and algae
B) Algae and bacteria
C) Insects and bacteria
D) Insects and fungus
E) All of these are found in soil

Question 30

The stratified horizontal layers of soils are called soil _________.

A) Profiles
B) Horizons
C) Textures
D) Types
E) Classifications

Question 31

Soil organisms usually stay __________ the soil.

A) Deep below the surface of
B) Near the middle of
C) Close to the surface of
D) Spread uniformly throughout
E) About half stay close to the surface and the other half stay deep below the surface of the soil

Question 32

Topsoil contains predominantly

A) Organic material
B) Mineral material
C) Plant roots
D) Insoluble minerals and sand
E) Mixed organic material and mineral particles

Question 33

When compared to sand and gravel, small soil particles (clay and silt) have ______ pore space.

A) More
B) About the same
C) Less
D) Significantly more
E) It depends on the other minerals that are present

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a component of soil texture?

A) Organics
B) Sand
C) Silt
D) Clay

Question 35

Rill erosion can lead to

A) Sheet erosion
B) Wind erosion
C) Gully erosion
D) Soil compaction
E) Salinization and waterlogging

Question 36

Wind erosion is most likely to cause problems in

A) Forested grazing lands on high mountains
B) Open, arid regions
C) Fertile river bottoms with annual floods
D) Agricultural regions in the far north
E) Protected, arid regions

Question 37

Which of the following are NOT forms of chemical deterioration of soil?

A) Salinization
B) Waterlogging
C) Nutrient depletion
D) Pollution
E) Acidification

Question 38

Mineral particles in the soil are derived from

A) Underlying bedrock
B) Materials transported and deposited by glaciers
C) Materials transported and deposited by rivers
D) Materials transported and deposited by wind
E) All of these are correct

Question 39

What type of soil is sticky, elastic, and impermeable?

A) Sands
B) Organic matter
C) Living organisms
D) Clay
E) A large particle size

Question 40

In developed countries, the most recent increases in agricultural productivity have come from

A) Irrigation in arid areas
B) Increased fertilization
C) New crop varieties
D) An increase in the land being used for agriculture
E) Irrigation, increased fertilization, and new crop varieties

Question 41

Another word for cover crops is

A) Mulch
B) Strip farming
C) Green manure
D) Shade planting
E) All of these are correct

Question 42

Which of the following pesticide types is extremely toxic to workers who apply them?

A) Chlorinated hydrocarbons
B) Carbamates
C) Inorganic pesticides
D) Fumigants
E) Natural organic pesticides

Question 43

Which of the following is the BEST way to ensure soil health?

A) Maintaining clean, open ground between rows
B) Strip farming and leaving residues on fields after harvest
C) Clearing fields immediately after harvesting
D) Establishing ridges running up and down hills
E) All of these are good practices in ensuring soil health

Question 44

The benefits of leaving crop residues on a field after harvest include

A) Protecting soil organisms
B) Reducing evaporation
C) Breaking the erosive effects of wind and water
D) All of these are correct

Question 45

Which is the BEST cropping method for reducing erosion?

A) Rotating corn, wheat and clover
B) Growing corn continuously
C) Growing wheat continuously
D) Growing clover continuously
E) None of these is more effective in reducing erosion

Question 46

Significant agricultural monetary losses are due to the destruction of _____ through pesticide spray drift and residues on flowers.

A) Ladybird beetles
B) Honeybees
C) Praying mantises
D) Monarch butterflies
E) Bacillus thuringiensis

Question 47

Annual row crops such as __________ cause the highest erosion rates because _____________.

A) Corn and coffee; they use so many nutrients
B) Wheat and coffee; they need so much water
C) Tea and beans; plowing in the fall is required for planting of these annual spring crops
D) Beans and coffee; trees are usually cut down for the fields
E) Corn and beans; soil is left bare for the majority of the year

Question 48

Which of the following has been used historically to reduce agricultural pests?

A) Planting insect repelling plant and flowers.
B) Salt
C) Lime
D) Sulfur ointments
E) All of these methods have been used as pest control

Question 49

Contour plowing and strip farming are methods designed to

A) Prevent weed spreading
B) Improve plowing efficiency
C) Improve harvesting efficiency
D) Prevent water and soil loss
E) Make farms more attractive

Question 50

Which of these is NOT a benefit found with reduced tillage farming?

A) Water conservation
B) Soil preservation
C) Increased crop yields
D) Soil aeration
E) Decreased insects and weeds

Question 51

Salinization is a common agricultural problem in what type of region?

A) Arid
B) Cold
C) Tropical
D) Humid
E) Windy

Question 52

About what portion of world freshwater withdrawals is used for agriculture?

A) 1/10
B) 2/3
C) 3/4
D) 9/10
E) 1/2

Question 53

Which of the following uses the LEAST amount of energy in industrialized farming practices?

A) Fuel for tractors and other machines
B) Production of chemical fertilizer
C) Use of pesticides
D) Drying the crops in the field
E) Transporting the crops to market

Question 54

Which of the following usually has the MOST intensive use of pesticides?

A) A soybean field
B) A golf course
C) An average U.S. kitchen
D) A corn field
E) All of these are comparable

Question 55

DDT accumulation distrupted calcium metabolism in the North American eagle, as well as other birds, causing

A) Infertility
B) Thin eggshells
C) Severe nerve damage
D) Adult deformities
E) All of these are correct

Question 56

Pest organisms tend to be

A) Specialist species
B) Generalist species
C) Migratory species
D) Endemic species

Question 57

One of the drawbacks of leaving crop residues on a field after harvest is increased

A) Cost due to the high cost of fertilizers
B) Pest and disease problems
C) Salinization
D) Energy use of machinery
E) Wind erosion

Question 58

Alcohol and pickling solutions were probably widely developed because they

A) Neutralize toxins in foods
B) Preserve food due to their pesticidal properties
C) Have more interesting flavors than other solutions for seasoning
D) Are effective insecticides in the home
E) All of these are good reasons why alcohol and pickling solutions were used

Question 59

A broad-spectrum biocide is designed to kill

A) A wide range of plants
B) Microbes that are neither plant nor animal
C) A wide range of living organisms
D) Specifically multicellular organisms
E) Specifically unicellular organisms

Question 60

DDT is

A) Equally toxic to mammals and insects
B) Soluble only in water
C) Cheap to produce and easy to apply
D) Highly biodegradable
E) All of these are correct

Question 61

Organophosphates and _________ are similar in that they lack environmental persistence and have low bioaccumulation.

A) Chlorinated hydrocarbons
B) Carbamates
C) Inorganic pesticides
D) Fumigants
E) Natural organic pesticides

Question 62

Why is it useful to classify pesticides by their chemical structure?

A) It is easier to keep them organized by type
B) Scientists have done this for years and it would be inefficient to change it now
C) Similar chemical structures often relate to similar toxicological characteristics
D) This is how they are named and looking them up for reference is easier
E) This is how they are named and the regulations use these names

Question 63

Approximately ______ percent of the pesticides applied with machine sprayers never reach the intended target.

A) 15
B) 20
C) 75
D) 50
E) 90

Question 64

In terms of agriculture, pesticides have led to _____ for consumers.

A) Lower monetary costs
B) More attractive produce
C) Better produce quality
D) More availability of produce
E) All of these are correct

Question 65

Which of the following are inorganic pesticides?

A) Rotenone and nicotine
B) Arsenic, copper, and mercury
C) Carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dibromide
D) DDT and mothballs
E) A complex of chemicals from the chrysanthemum

Question 66

Can an organism be resistant to a chemical that it has never been exposed to?

A) Yes, genes for pesticide resistance can be transferred through vectors such as viruses
B) Yes, pesticide resistance does not require chemical exposure and eventually all organisms become resistant
C) Yes, the pesticide treadmill causes pesticide resistance
D) No, there is probably some exposure that we are not aware of
E) No, it is not possible for an organism be resistant to a chemical that it has never been exposed to

Question 67

In general, microbial agents are

A) Wide spectrum agents
B) Used in place of chemical pesticides
C) Small molecules that gasify easily
D) Small molecules that penetrate rapidly into a variety of materials
E) Persistent in the soil for a long time

Question 68

The pesticide treadmill occurs when

A) A virus transfers pesticide resistance to a new species
B) Constantly decreasing doses of pesticides are needed to control pests
C) Nontarget agricultural species are destroyed by insecticides
D) Predators of the pest species are killed by broadcast spraying
E) Constantly increasing doses of pesticides are needed to control pests

Question 69

Natural organic pesticides are NOT

A) Extracted from plants
B) Toxic to humans
C) Safe for all animals
D) Stable in their natural form
E) All of these are characteristics of natural organic pesticides

Question 70

DDT is a

A) Chlorinated hydrocarbon (organochloride)
B) Natural organic pesticide
C) Chlorinated inorganic pesticide
D) Organophosphate
E) Carbamate

Question 71

Inorganic pesticides are generally

A) Highly toxic and remain in the soil for a long time
B) Highly toxic and break down soon in the environment
C) Moderately toxic and remain in the soil for a long time
D) Moderately toxic and break down soon in the environment
E) Toxic to insects but safe for humans

Question 72

Organophosphates operate by attacking an organism's ________ system.

A) Muscular
B) Blood
C) Immune
D) Nervous
E) Skeletal

Question 73

In the graph, which of the populations first began to show pesticide resistance?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) It is impossible to answer the question with the provided data

Question 74

Pesticide resistance occurs when a population of pests

A) Becomes too numerous for chemicals to control
B) Genetically changes (through natural selection) and is no longer affected by the chemicals
C) Grows extremely large because of chemical misapplications
D) Is not affected by chemicals because the pesticide chemicals do not break down in the environment
E) Is completely wiped out by the pesticide chemicals

Question 75

Chlorinated hydrocarbons have ____ toxicity for sensitive organisms and remain in the soil for a _______ time.

A) High; long
B) High; short
C) Low; short
D) Low; long
E) Medium; long

Question 76

When a new pesticide is developed the best thing to do is to use it

A) Sparingly, so pests will not develop a resistance
B) Widely and liberally to knock out pests
C) Widely and liberally, so pests will not develop a resistance
D) Liberally then sparingly to prevent resistance and knock out pests
E) Sparingly then liberally to prevent resistance and knock out pests

Question 77

Pest resurgence is part of the problem of pesticide resistance and happens when a pest organism

A) That was dormant during pesticide application becomes active and produces offspring
B) Adapts to the pesticide and produces tolerant offspring
C) Adapts to the pesticide and produces even more pesticide-tolerant offspring
D) That is tolerant to the pesticide survives and produces tolerant offspring
E) Receives a gene for pesticide tolerance through a virus infection

Question 78

Looking at the graph and given what you know about pesticide resistance, what do you think will probably happen to curve "b" in the future?

A) It will level off
B) It will continue to increase
C) It will decrease
D) It will increase a small amount, and then level off
E) It is impossible to answer the question with the provided data

Question 79

Which of the following diseases CANNOT be decreased with the use of insecticides in the environment?

A) Malaria
B) Sleeping sickness
C) Bronchitis
D) Yellow fever
E) West Nile virus

Question 80

Most of the pesticides applied in the United States are used in

A) Landscaping for private homes
B) Agriculture
C) Controlling pests in private homes
D) Landscaping for both private homes and businesses
E) Controlling pests in businesses (e.g., restaurants)