Use insecticides to improve crop quality and yield
Insecticides control insect pests that can damage crops or reduce their quality and yield.
Exam scope and assessment notes
Core and Extended · Biology 0970, 2026–2028. Use the stated specimen features and evidence. Diagrams are schematic. Written practice is self-checked; human subject-teacher review, supervised practical competence and cumulative assessment remain pending. Cambridge states that IGCSE 0970 has the same subject content as IGCSE 0610, with 9–1 grading. This StudyForA pathway maps the 2026–2028 syllabus only. This 9–1 graded qualification is available only in a limited number of administrative zones. Confirm that your centre can enter you for this code and exam series with Cambridge International. Cambridge has published a separate syllabus for 2029. StudyForA has not reconciled that version yet; this page supports exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028 only.
Before you begin
- Know that crop and livestock production depend on both management and environmental conditions.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What is the target of an insecticide in crop production?
What you will learn
- Describe the purpose of insecticides in crop production
- Distinguish pest control from guaranteed complete protection
Protect crops from insect damage
Insecticides are chemicals used to control insect pests. Insects that feed on crop plants can damage leaves, stems, roots, flowers or harvested produce. Controlling such pests can improve crop quality and yield, the benefits named in the syllabus.
The size of a benefit depends on the pest, crop, timing and conditions. An insecticide may reduce damage without removing every pest, and it does not directly provide nutrients or make a crop grow faster.
Interpret treatment evidence
When comparing treated and untreated crops, use the same crop, area, observation time and measurement method where possible. Quality and yield are different outcomes: a treatment can reduce visible damage, change the mass harvested, affect both or show little measurable effect in a particular comparison.
A difference observed after treatment is evidence to examine, but causal confidence depends on the design. If plots differ in several ways, the insecticide cannot be isolated as the only explanation.
Pause and explain
Treated crops show less insect damage. What is the most careful interpretation?
Worked example
A trial records damaged produce in 30 of 100 untreated plants and 12 of 100 plants treated with an insecticide. What changed?
Show the worked solution
- Compare counts from equal-sized groups.
- Calculate the difference in damaged plants per 100.
Answer The treated group had 18 fewer damaged plants per 100 in this trial. This suggests improved crop quality under these conditions; it does not show complete pest elimination.
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Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
State two crop-production benefits that insecticides can have.
Give me a hint
Use the benefits named in the syllabus.
Compare my reasoning
- They can control insect pests.
- This can improve crop quality and yield.
Insecticides control insect pests and can improve crop quality and yield by reducing pest damage.
Look for these in your work
- Pest control stated
- Both quality and yield named
An untreated plot has 24 damaged plants out of 80; a treated plot has 12 out of 80. Compare the proportions.
Give me a hint
Use the same denominator for both plots.
Compare my reasoning
- Untreated: 24/80 = 30%.
- Treated: 12/80 = 15%.
The damaged proportion fell from 30% to 15%, a decrease of 15 percentage points in this trial. It is evidence of reduced damage, not proof that all insect pests were removed.
Look for these in your work
- Proportions correct
- Percentage points distinguished
A treated field has a higher total harvest but also covers twice the area of the comparison field. What should be compared to assess yield?
Give me a hint
Use a common area denominator.
Compare my reasoning
- Calculate harvested mass per unit area for both fields.
- Keep the crop and measurement period comparable.
Compare yield per unit area, such as tonnes per hectare, using comparable crops and periods. Total harvest alone may be higher simply because the field is larger.
Look for these in your work
- Yield metric selected
- Area confound identified
Common mistakes
- Confusing insecticides with herbicides
- Saying an insecticide guarantees a pest-free crop
- Treating crop quality and yield as the same measure
What can you explain now?
What is the target of an insecticide in crop production?
Compare with the explanation
Insect pests
It is used to control insects.
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Make it stick
How can an insecticide affect crop quality and yield, and what does a reduction in crop damage fail to prove?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.