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These are very small, thread-like organisms which may be grouped with insects although they have become so important that they are included in an applied science subject called nematology which is now becoming distinct from entomology, the classicalterm given to the study of insects. These minute organisms, which are most often found in the soil, can do considerable damage to crops by feeding on their roots and other plant tissues. They can also introduce bacterial and viral diseases into plant tissues through the wounds they cause during feeding. They often cause swellings to develop on the roots of the plants on which they are feeding; these should not be confused with the nodules produced on the roots of leguminous plants by Rhizobium bacteria.
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Bacteria And Man (How It Is Affect Crop And Plants)
BIRDS
These are serious pests of many crops, particularly cereal such as rice, guinea corn and maize; they crops can also damage the fruits of tree crops. Birds are difficult to control and the damage done to a wide range of farm crops is very considerable.
RODENTS
Many rodents are herbivores, that is, they feed on vegetable material and can be particularly destructive to young cereal crops such as rice. Rodents are mammals and include pests such as mice, rats and squirrels. These fairly large animals require a great deal of food and the rate of crop destruction can be very rapid unless they are controlled.
MONKEYS
These may be a serious problem in some areas since they often feed on mature crops such as maize. Owing to their large size, the damage they do is often not confined to the actual number of fruits they eat butvto the crops they uproot and break.