Plant Protection science 🌱🦠🔬

Mode of action labeling as part of IRM strategy 🐛🌿🧪🧑🔬⚛️

⚛️Insecticide resistance is a phenomenon where insects, over time, develop the ability to survive exposure to insecticides that were once effective in controlling them.

🐛This can lead to reduced sensitivity of an insect population to an insecticide that is frequently being applied.

🗓️One of the earliest accounts for insecticide resistance in the Philippines is the case of diamond back moth (Plutella xylostella) in cabbage. It is the most important pest of cabbage being cultivated in Benguet, Mt Province, Cebu, Bukidnon and Davao provinces.

🧪In 1974, first report of DBM resistance to mevinphos was reported with multiple resistance to various insecticides was documented in 1976, including insect growth regulators in 1994, fipronil in 2005 and with latest reports on flubendiamide and other diamides in general.

🧬This resistance can occur due to genetic mutations that make the insects less susceptible to the chemicals.

📍When insecticides are used, selection pressure on population happens. Insects that are resistant to the insecticide survive and reproduce, passing on their resistance genes to their offspring.

♻️When a farmer excessively applied insecticide this can accelerate resistance. Using the same insecticide repeatedly can quickly select for resistant individuals.

🧑🔬Insects also develop cross resistance to multiple insecticides that renders similar resistance mechanisms.

🪴Resistance development for insects like DBM can continuously arise in the future since many farmers seldom rotate insecticides with different mode of action (MOA).

🫙As a fact, farmers use insecticides and alternately spraying them based on their brand names or active ingredients. In cypermethrin market alone, there are more than 100 registered brands not to mention other pyrethroids that belong to the same MOA within IRAC Group 3.

🏷️In order to support IRM efforts, MOA icons are now included in the product labels so that farmers can practice MOA rotation.

🚨With this effort, farmers and retailers have access to relevant information on IRM and can decide which products to apply alternately and repetitively within the IRAC recommendations.

💡Mode of action labeling is a valuable tool for promoting the responsible and effective use of pesticides while minimizing the negative impacts on human health, the environment, and the development of resistance in insect populations.

📹Video Credit: https://lnkd.in/gfVZZdps

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