EPA Guide: Slowing & Combating Pest Resistance to Pesticides
By US EPA
PermaNews Brief
Key Takeaways
To combat pesticide resistance, the EPA recommends diverse pest management strategies, emphasizing refuges for GE crops and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
- Implement diverse pest control tactics.
- Utilize non-PIP crop refuges for GE crops
- Monitor for resistance development.
- Educate growers on best practices.
- Integrate multiple control methods.
- Avoid relying on single pesticides.
Why It Matters
Pesticide resistance reduces agricultural yields and necessitates environmentally harmful chemical escalation. Implementing these strategies protects crop efficacy and promotes sustainable farming.
What to Do Next
Research specific IPM strategies tailored to your local pest challenges and crop types.
Recommended for: Farmers, agricultural advisors, and policymakers interested in sustainable pest management and maintaining pesticide effectiveness.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlines strategies to slow and combat pest resistance to pesticides, focusing on reducing pest populations regardless of resistance status. A major component is insect resistance management (IRM) for genetically engineered crops producing pesticidal proteins (PIPs), which includes the use of refuges—non-PIP crops planted to maintain susceptible pest populations and reduce selection pressure. Types of refuges include block refuges, seed blends, and natural refuges. The EPA also promotes IPM-based stewardship, resistance monitoring, grower education, compliance monitoring, and mitigation strategies if resistance is confirmed. The agency advises using IPM strategies to prevent increases in resistant pest types by integrating multiple control tactics and avoiding overreliance on any single pesticide mode of action.
Source: epa.gov
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