QAL Laws & Regulation Practice Exam

Lowering the humidity of stored grains to reduce mold damage exemplifies which type of pest management method?

1. Cultural Control

2. Biological Control

3. Physical/Environmental Modification

4. Chemical Control

The correct answer is: Physical/Environmental Modification

Lowering the humidity of stored grains to reduce mold damage is an example of physical or environmental modification. This method involves altering environmental factors to create conditions that are less conducive to pest development or infestation. By reducing humidity, you inhibit the growth of mold and other pests that thrive in moist environments. Cultural control focuses on practices that improve crop health and reduce pest opportunities through techniques like crop rotation or intercropping. Biological control involves the use of natural predators or parasites to manage pest populations. Chemical control utilizes pesticides or chemicals to eliminate pests, which doesn't apply in this instance since humidity reduction is a non-chemical strategy. Thus, controlling humidity exemplifies a proactive environmental alteration that directly impacts the conditions in which molds can thrive, making physical/environmental modification the best fit for this scenario.