Baculoviruses are excellent candidates for pest management programmes due to:
A. They are species specific.
B. No negative impacts on plants or mammals.
C. They do not harm non-target insects.
D. They increase the number of harmful insects.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B and C only
Baculoviruses are pathogens that attack insects and other arthropods. They are used as biological control agents. They suit integrated pest management (IPM) programmes, where the beneficial insects must be kept safe.
A. They are species specific. — Correct. Each virus attacks only a narrow group of pests.
B. No negative impacts on plants or mammals. — Correct. They have been shown to be safe for plants, mammals, birds and fish.
C. They do not harm non-target insects. — Correct. Useful insects such as bees are not harmed.
D. They increase the number of harmful insects. — Incorrect. The viruses infect and kill the pest insects, so they reduce the pests.
NCERT Extract:
Microbes as Biocontrol Agents – …
