Department of Agricultural Chemicals

Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya

Mohanpur - 741 252, Nadia, West Bengal, India

Crop protection chemicals known as pesticides are playing a significant role to ensure food security. Besides controlling pests in agriculture, they are also used in human and animal health programmes. Development of resistant pests poses a real challenge towards the effectiveness of these toxic pesticides leading to their increased application associated with residual toxicity in food and environment. An estimated 954 pest species which include arthropods, weeds and plant pathogens have developed resistance against various types of pesticides, viz. insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. Resistance development in pest populations is influenced by biological, genetic and operational factors. Various mechanisms involved in resistance development in insects, microbes and weeds are discussed. The extent of insecticide, fungicide and herbicide resistance in various pest species is also highlighted. Effective pest and resistance management practices require understanding the factors influencing its development. The important role of Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) and Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) for resistance management is indicated. Strategies to mitigate the resistance development in conventional pesticides, use of Plant Incorporated Protectants (PIPs) and biopesticides as alternative to chemical pesticides along with some general recommendations are suggested for adoption.

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