Chemical control of insect pests and insecticide resistance in oilseed rape

Abstract

Public concerns about environmental hazards and widespread resistance in pollen beetle populations on oilseed rape in Europe are threatening the availability of a variety of insecticidal modes of action for pest control on the crop. For a sustainable use of insecticides any overuse has to be avoided to minimize risk of resistance development. Pollen beetles are present in the crop for a long period during the season and are therefore exposed to most insecticide applications carried out, irrespective of any need for control above threshold values. To avoid resistance development active substances with several modes of action are needed to ensure sustainable control of pollen beetle. Insecticide resistance is an example of an evolutionary process in which insecticide resistant genotypes are selected in treated populations. The available insecticides, their modes of action, methods for identifying resistance and both, factors affecting the dynamics of insecticide resistance in the field as well as management strategies to prevent or delay the evolution of resistance, are reported. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.