Which of the following is NOT an example of IPM according to the given list?

• A. Cleanup or cuttings
• B. Hand picking of caterpillars
• C. Crop rotation
• D. Weekly spraying of pesticides without monitoring

Answer: (D)

IPM relies on using a mix of management practices that reduce pest problems with careful monitoring and selective action. Cleanup or removing crop debris lowers pest habitat and food sources, helping keep pests in check. Hand picking caterpillars is a direct, physical removal method that reduces pest numbers without chemicals. Crop rotation disrupts pest life cycles by changing the host plants available to them, lowering buildup over time. Weekly spraying of pesticides without monitoring doesn’t fit IPM because it applies chemicals on a fixed schedule rather than in response to actual pest levels; this can harm beneficials, promote resistance, and ignore non-chemical options. So the practice that isn’t IPM is the routine, unsupervised pesticide spraying.