Plant Management and Entomology Quiz

Basic Botany

• Vascular System (Monocots vs. Dicots): Xylem conducts water and minerals, phloem carries sugars, cambium produces new xylem/phloem cells, pith is spongy tissue in dicot stems. Monocots have discontinuous vascular systems, dicots have continuous ones.

Leaves Function + Structure

• Nodes and Internodes: Nodes are areas where buds are located, internodes are areas between nodes. Terminal buds are at the apex, axillary buds are on the sides of the stem. Apical dominance is the tendency of a bud to suppress growth of buds below.

• Leaf Structure: Petiole holds the leaf away from the stem. Leaf axil is where the petiole meets the stem and where axillary buds are located. Epidermis is the outer, tough protective layer, and the cuticle creates a waxy barrier to protect from dehydration. Guard cells regulate water, O2 and CO2 passage.

Types of Leaves

• Leaf Formations: Opposite Leaves are positioned across from each other on the stem, Alternate Leaves are positioned in alternate steps along the stem with one leaf per node, and Whorled Leaves are arranged in circles along the stem.

• Venation Types: Parallel venation is like veins in grass and palm trees in parallel, and Net Venation has two forms- Pinnate (feather-like) and Palmate (veins extend like a fan).

Flowers

• Flower Structure: Stamen is the male part (anther and filament). Pistil is the female part (stigma, style, and ovary). Sepals are the small, leaf-like structures at the base of the flower and petals are the highly colored, collectively forming the corolla. Complete flowers have all four parts (stamens, pistils, petals, sepals), incomplete ones are missing a part. Perfect flowers have both male and female parts, imperfect flowers are missing one of these.

• Flower Types: Complete flowers contain all four parts (stamens, pistils, petals, and sepals). Incomplete flowers are missing one or more of these parts. Perfect flowers have both male and female reproductive organs, while imperfect flowers lack one or both. Monoecious species have both male and female flowers on the same plant; while dioecious species have separate male and female plants. Solitary flowers are single flowers, and inflorescences are clusters of flowers.

Seed Formation

• Pollination: Pollen is transferred from anther to stigma, can be done by wind or pollinators.
• Fertilization: Union of male sperm nucleus and female egg results in seed formation.
• Cross-Fertilization: Combines genetic materials from two different parents.

Seeds

• Germination: Process that converts a dormant seed to active growth, starts with radicle that grows towards moisture.
• Seed Coat Dormancy: Hard seed coat prevents water penetration, requires a mechanical or chemical process like stratification (cold treatment) to break.
• Embryo Dormancy: Seeds can remain dormant due to embryo dormancy, requires stratification before germinating.

Plant Growth and Development

• Photosynthesis: Plants produce food by converting H2O, sunlight, and CO2 into sugar and O2. Occurs in all light conditions.
• Respiration: Plants use the products of photosynthesis (food) to release energy. This process takes place in the daytime and the nighttime and produces CO2 that is later used in photosynthesis.
• Transpiration: Evaporation of water from leaf tissue pulls more water from the roots to be used in photosynthesis and other plant functions.

Key Environmental Factors Affecting Growth

• Light: Quantity (intensity), quality (color/wavelength-blue and red have most significant effects), and duration (photoperiod) are important factors that affect plant growth. Longer exposure to light stimulates flowering in many plants.

• Temperature: Different plants have varying temperature requirements for optimal growth.

• Water and Humidity: Water is essential for nutrient transport, and maintaining leaf firmness. Humidity can affect transpiration rates.

Plant Diseases

• General: Three conditions are needed for a plant disease to occur; presence of a susceptible host, presence of harmful pathogen, favorable environment.

• Types of Pathogens:

• Fungi (most abundant group), reproduce through spores through sexual or asexual means.

• Water molds (Oomycetes): fungal like organisms.

• Bacteria: microscopic, single-celled organisms that need a wound or opening to enter.

• Viruses: Extremely small that need vectors to transfer to plant.

• Nematodes: Microscopic roundworms.

• Phytoplasmas: Bacteria-like pathogens.

• Parasitic Plants: Rely on host plants to produce the nutrients they need.

Principles Disease Management/Control

• Exclusion: Preventing pathogens from entering areas where they don't exist.
• Avoidance: Inhibiting the establishment of pathogens that exist in other areas via methods such as crop rotations.
• Resistance: Selecting plant varieties that are tolerant to pathogens.
• Protection: Implementing steps to prevent plant infections.
• Eradication: Limiting the spread of pathogens once the plant is infected.

Soils & Fertility

• Soil Structure: Compaction and excessive tillage (tilling when wet) destroy soil structure. Permeability, or the ability of water to pass through soil, is important to understand. Soil erosion can occur from leaching.
• Green Manure: Cover crops added to soil to increase pH, fertility and act as natural fertilizers. pH is a measure of soil acidity.
• Primary Nutrients: Nitrogen (ammonium, nitrate), Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK) are essential for plant growth. Plants need the largest amounts of these nutrients during active growth.
• Nitrogen: Nitrogen fixation converts atmospheric nitrogen to usable forms.
• Immobilization: Soil microorganisms use nitrogen to break down organic matter reducing amount of nitrogen available for plants.
• Phosphorus: Typically high in most KY soils, a essential nutrient as well.

Recognizing Plant Problems

• Identifying Plant Symptoms and Signs: Knowing the difference between signs (physical presence of the organism) and symptoms (physical changes on the plant) is crucial for diagnosis. Knowing pest/pathogen types helps you find the proper solutions.
• Abiotic Causes (non-living components): Weather, climate, environmental factors (like improper nutrients).
• Inspect for Insects/Mites: (size, coloration, behavior, damage.)
• Pest Classifications: Various categories including leaf, stem, root, or fruit-feeding organisms

Composting

• Composting: Building fertile soil from organic waste. Techniques include Cold and Hot methods. Composting adds nutrients which strengthen soil.
• Materials used in making compost include: Bulking agents (wood chips, cardboard) and energy materials (fruit/veggie waste, grass clippings).
• Humus: when organic matter decomposes, acts as a natural glue to bind and strengthen soil aggregates.
• Soil Organisms: Release nutrients, energy, and CO2 that help create rich soil.

Lawn Management

• Turf: Grass and surface layer of earth held together by roots creates a more beautiful environment or recreational space.
• Fertilizing Lawns: Applying nitrogen to cool-season grasses in the fall and late spring/early fall to warm-season grasses. Lawn clippings also can help fertilize.
• Lawn Problems: Common issues include Thatch (layer of decomposing plant material). White grubs (larval stage of beetles). Localized dry spots (may be cause by lack of drainage, weeds or poor watering). Broadleaf weeds (identified by leaf patterns) and grassy weeds.
• Lawn Renovation: Replacing an existing grass with a different variety or a better-suited species, or replacing with completely new grass.
• Mowing Lawns: Cutting lawn to proper heights dependent on grass types and conditions and avoiding dull mower blades.
• Watering Lawns: Watering properly during dry periods following established practices and avoiding overwatering. Proper watering depends on the type of grass/soil.

Plant Propagation

• Asexual Propagation: Propagates plants without merging reproductive cells or seeds. Includes divisions, cuttings, and grafting.
• Annuals: Plants that complete their entire life cycle in one year.
• Perennials: Plants that live for more than two years and have a woody stem such as trees and shrubs.
• Biennial: Plants that complete their life cycle in two years and are often used for two years of growth.

Home Vegetable Gardening

• Crop Rotation: Alternating crops to prevent depletion of nutrients, reduce disease, and pest buildup.
• Cultural Controls (using planning practices to avoid pests): Sanitation (clearing materials that build up pests), and adjusting timing of plantings to avoid bad environments.
• Long-term soil fertility: Improving soil fertility, allowing crops to take advantage of nutrients, and succession planting.
• Insect Management: Cultural controls, monitoring to identify early signs of pests, and using biological controls.
• General Garden Care: Maintaining plants, checking on conditions, and managing during the different seasons.

Selecting, Planting, & Care of Woody Plants

• Planting Use proper methods like ball and burlap for plants.
• Staking (for small trees): Use correct materials and methods for support.
• Pruning Timing and techniques for specific plant types.
• Injuries/Issues: Types and identification of typical injuries. Determining why trees are injured.
• Fertilizing (for shrubs): When needed and the best methods for delivery.
• Watering: Providing proper amounts of water and avoiding issues like high water level.

Growing Fruit Trees

• Rootstocks: Selecting rootstocks based on disease resistance, tolerance to soil conditions, and cold hardiness. Different types of rootstocks are utilized for different types of plant conditions.
• Pollination: Pollen needs to be transferred to enable pollination; fruit trees can be pollinated by birds/insects.
• Spacing fruit trees: proper spacing allows for adequate growth and development.
• Nutritional Needs (of Fruit Trees): Evaluating nitrogen levels, and other nutritional needs.
• Watering Monitoring soil moisture to determine water needs
• Pruning Pruning techniques will enhance the health, productivity, and fruit set of trees (timing, cuts).
• Harvesting Determining proper harvest times.
• Pest Management (IPM): Using integrated pest management techniques to identify, understand and plan solutions when needed.

Pesticide Formulation Types

• Liquid formulations: Emulsifiable concentrates and flowables.
• Dry formulations: Dusts, granules, wettable powders, and soluble powders.
• Other formulations: Ready-to-use products (like baits).
• Pesticide disposal: Proper methods and considerations. Reducing risks of chemical use for IPM.

Composting (again)

• Composting method: Cold and Hot composting. These differ in time required.
• Materials for Composting: Energy materials and bulking agents like wood chips/cardboard.
• Soil Organisms: Crucial role in breaking down organic waste, releasing nutrients,
• Soil Texture: Soil particles type, and their size, are important for nutrient absorption.

Test your knowledge on plant management practices and insect anatomy. This quiz covers key concepts such as soil management, nutrient requirements, and the various types of insect mouthparts. Challenge yourself to see how well you understand these fundamental principles in botany and entomology.