Researchers are considering two parasitic wasps as biological control organisms for leaf-miner larvae that damage spinach plants.
Tests were carried out in secure cages.
| Parasitic wasp | Leaf-miner larvae parasitised out of 100 | Harmless native moth larvae parasitised out of 100 |
|---|---|---|
| R | 74 | 3 |
| S | 81 | 52 |
The researchers recommend wasp R rather than wasp S for field trials.
What does this recommendation show about biological control?
An organism with several host species should be chosen to keep its numbers up.
The organism that kills the most pests should be chosen for release.
An organism that rarely attacks species other than the pest should be chosen.
An organism without natural enemies should be chosen so that its numbers increase.
127 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.2 Feeding the human race, covering 6.2.1 Biological factors affecting food security, 6.2.2 Agricultural solutions to growing demand, 6.2.3 Selective breeding, 6.2.4 Genetic engineering, 6.2.5 Steps in genetic engineering, 6.2.6 Benefits and risks of gene technology in agriculture, and 6.2.7 Biotechnological solutions to growing demand. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.