Which pest management method involves rearing and releasing natural enemies?

• A. Augmentation
• B. Exclusion
• C. Antibiosis
• D. Habitat modification

Answer: (A)

Rearing and releasing natural enemies is augmentation, a method of biological pest control that boosts beneficial insects to suppress pests. By producing predators or parasitoids in a nursery and releasing them into the crop, you increase the population of organisms that attack the pest, providing suppression and often reducing the need for chemical controls. There are two forms: inundative releases, where large numbers are released for immediate impact, and inoculative releases, where smaller numbers are released to establish self-sustaining populations that build up over time. This approach contrasts with exclusion, which uses barriers to keep pests out; habitat modification, which changes the environment to be less favorable for pests; and antibiosis, which relies on plant or microbial traits to harm pests rather than releasing living control agents.