What is a systemic insecticide?

Study for the Ontario Pesticide Training and Certification CORE Test. Prepare with multiple-choice questions, get hints and explanations. Ensure readiness for your certification!

Multiple Choice

What is a systemic insecticide?

A systemic insecticide is absorbed by the plant and moved through its vascular system, so parts of the plant that aren’t directly treated become toxic to insects feeding on them. You apply it to one part of the plant, and the chemical travels to other tissues, including new growth, providing protection from within. This differs from products that stay on a treated surface and must be eaten or touched, from those that break down quickly in the soil and don’t affect insects, and from sprays that cover the plant but don’t move inside the plant. The key idea is the internal movement of the chemical to reach feeding sites and protect the whole plant.

A systemic insecticide is absorbed by the plant and moved through its vascular system, so parts of the plant that aren’t directly treated become toxic to insects feeding on them. You apply it to one part of the plant, and the chemical travels to other tissues, including new growth, providing protection from within. This differs from products that stay on a treated surface and must be eaten or touched, from those that break down quickly in the soil and don’t affect insects, and from sprays that cover the plant but don’t move inside the plant. The key idea is the internal movement of the chemical to reach feeding sites and protect the whole plant.

More practice questions