Factors responsible for increasing pest problem

• High yielding varieties: When altering the genetic makeup of the crop plant to increase yield with little or no attention to pest attack, natural resistance may be lost or greatly reduced.
• Monoculture: in agriculture, the natural plant community is removed, destroyed and usually replaced by a single crop species. Larger the area that is planted to a single crop, the greater the potential for pest problem.
• Nutrients: Altering the nutrient level in the soil affects the concentration of nutrients in the host plant, which, in return, influence the pests that are feeding on the plant. The HYVs are nitrogen responsible and require extensive use of nitrogenous fertilizers to provide maximum yield. High levels of nitrogenous fertilizers significantly increase the incidence of most pests.
• Pesticides: it causes development of insecticide resistance, outbreak of secondary pest, it may kill natural enemies, alter crop physiology to make the plant more susceptible to attack by attack.
• Cultural practices: New agronomic recommendations like closer spacing, sowing times, rotations, harvesting procedures, etc. are favorable to most of the insect pests.