The point at which a pest population will cause or pose unacceptable damage is called?

• A. Economic injury level
• B. Pest action threshold
• C. Tolerance
• D. Break-even point

Answer: (B)

In pest management, the tipping point where damage becomes economically unacceptable is the economic injury level. It’s the pest density at which the expected crop losses from damage equal the cost of taking control, so any higher pest numbers would lead to net economic loss. Below this point, the cost of control may not be justified by the damage prevented; above it, intervention becomes economically warranted.

The pest action threshold, by comparison, guides when you should start control to prevent reaching that economic injury level—usually set lower than the EIL so you stay ahead of economic losses. Tolerance refers to how well a crop can tolerate some pest damage without yield loss, not the threshold for initiating control. Break-even point is a broader financial term and not the specific pest density threshold used to judge when pest damage becomes unacceptable.