RDE674 Review of resistance of pests, weeds and pathogens to conventional pestic

Award outcome

Description

Pesticide resistance is an increasingly growing issue in modern agriculture and poses a significant threat to farmers and their yields both across the UK and worldwide. With the harmful effects of pesticides on pollinators and the environment, the number of pesticides available to combat resistant crop pests is growing smaller. Alongside the increasing levels of resistance, legislative changes banning the use of certain pesticides has further reduced the pool of available pesticides for farmers and growers. Of the remaining available products that are still able to effectively control pests, such as Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB), grain aphid, and bird cherry-oat aphid, recent evidence indicates resistance to pyrethroids (both synthetic and not) is growing and will eventually lead to complete resistance if not managed effectively. To effectively manage pesticide resistance and reduce its impacts on crops, adaptive approaches, implemented using integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, reduce the need for large quantity of pesticides sprayed onto crops to manage pests. The ability to monitor when resistance to pesticides arises is an invaluable tool that would help preserve the effectiveness of the remaining pesticides available to farmers as well as improving the effectiveness of IPM. Being able to accurately monitor resistance will help to inform farmers on when/if to spray and to facilitate more sustainable use of pesticides when needed.

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