What defines the method by which a pesticide causes harm to its target?

The mode of action refers to the specific biochemical pathway or mechanism through which a pesticide exerts its toxic effects on a target pest. This includes how the pesticide interacts with the pest's biological systems, such as disrupting nerve function, inhibiting respiration, or interfering with the pest's ability to synthesize essential proteins. Understanding the mode of action is crucial because it informs applicators about how to use the pesticide effectively, how it will impact target organisms, and the potential for resistance development in pest populations.

While application technique, target specificity, and control mechanism are relevant concepts in pest management, they do not specifically define the way a pesticide causes harm to its target. Application technique refers to how the pesticide is delivered, target specificity pertains to the selectivity of the pesticide for specific pest organisms, and control mechanism generally describes the broader strategies employed to manage pest populations. None of these options pinpoint the internal processes and effects that the pesticide has on the target organism as directly as the mode of action does.