Which of the following words is the number of pests per plant or the amount of damage to a plant at which point control measures should begin?

• A. Pest Density
• B. Economic Threshold
• C. Economic Injury Level
• D. Action Level

Answer: (B)

This threshold is the point at which you start applying control to prevent economic losses. It specifies the pest density per plant (or a level of damage) at which management actions should be taken, before damage becomes uneconomical. It’s a proactive trigger set below the level where the cost of the damage equals or exceeds the cost of control. The economic injury level defines that balance point, where losses equal control costs, and is what you aim to avoid reaching by acting at the economic threshold. Sometimes the term action level is used similarly, but the description in this question points to the economic threshold.