What is a selective pesticide?

What is a selective pesticide?

• A. Kills broad range of organisms.
• B. Is used to deter pests without killing.
• C. Targets specific pests.
• D. Is a systemic pesticide.

Answer: (C)

Selective pesticides are designed to affect only certain pests while leaving other organisms unharmed. This specificity means the chemical acts against particular species or groups rather than killing a wide range of organisms, which is exactly what makes it selective. Choosing a description that says it targets specific pests captures this idea, because it focuses on the pest that the product is meant to control and minimizes impact on beneficial insects and other non-target organisms. The other descriptions don’t define selectivity. A pesticide that kills a broad range of organisms is non-selective and can disrupt beneficial species and ecosystem balance. Deterrents that prevent pests from feeding or entering an area without killing aren’t pesticides that exert a toxic effect on pests, so they don’t illustrate selectivity. A systemic pesticide describes movement within the plant or pest, not whether its action is aimed at specific pests; the systemically delivered trait could be either selective or broad, but this option alone doesn’t define the concept.

Selective pesticides are designed to affect only certain pests while leaving other organisms unharmed. This specificity means the chemical acts against particular species or groups rather than killing a wide range of organisms, which is exactly what makes it selective. Choosing a description that says it targets specific pests captures this idea, because it focuses on the pest that the product is meant to control and minimizes impact on beneficial insects and other non-target organisms.

The other descriptions don’t define selectivity. A pesticide that kills a broad range of organisms is non-selective and can disrupt beneficial species and ecosystem balance. Deterrents that prevent pests from feeding or entering an area without killing aren’t pesticides that exert a toxic effect on pests, so they don’t illustrate selectivity. A systemic pesticide describes movement within the plant or pest, not whether its action is aimed at specific pests; the systemically delivered trait could be either selective or broad, but this option alone doesn’t define the concept.