KCET2026BiologyMicrobes in Human Welfare
Given below are two statements. Statement-I: Baculoviruses are pathogens that attack nematodes. Statement-II: Baculoviruses are used as biological control agents in ecologically sensitive areas as they are species-specific in their action. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.
Options
- ABoth Statement I and Statement II are true
- BBoth Statement I and Statement II are false
- CStatement I is true, but Statement II is false
- DStatement I is false, but Statement II is true
Correct answer
D. Statement I is false, but Statement II is true
Step-by-step solution
Baculoviruses are pathogens that attack insects and other arthropods, not nematodes. Therefore, Statement-I is false. The majority of baculoviruses used as biological control agents belong to the genus Nucleopolyhedrovirus. These viruses are excellent candidates for species-specific, narrow spectrum insecticidal applications. They have no negative impacts on plants, mammals, birds, fish, or even non-target insects. This makes them highly suitable for use in ecologically sensitive areas or in integrated pest managem