A pesticide directed onto weeds or soil but avoiding contact with the crop or desirable plants is called what?

• A. Directed application
• B. Coverage
• C. Cross-resistance
• D. Cultural Control

Answer: (A)

Directed application describes placing the pesticide exactly where it is needed—directly onto weeds or into the soil around them—while keeping it away from the crop. This targeted placement helps protect desirable plants from injury, reduces exposure of non-target species, and minimizes drift or off-target effects. It’s about directing the chemical to the target area rather than blanket-spraying everything.

This fits because coverage would just mean how well the product wets the target area, not the intent to avoid crop contact. Cross-resistance is about pests becoming resistant to multiple pesticides, not how the chemical is applied. Cultural control refers to management practices like crop rotation or sanitation, not the method of applying the pesticide itself.