Insecticide resistance management strategy against Bemisia tabaci in Israel
An insecticide resistance management strategy has been developed in Israel to control Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) in cotton fields and glasshouse crops and to delay the onset of resistance of new insecticides with novel modes of action (e.g. buprofezin, pyriproxyfen and diafenthiuron). So far, high levels of resistance to conventional products, i.e. DDT, organophosphates and various pyrethroids have been reported in populations of B. tabaci. The IPM strategy includes the use of insecticides with different modes of action in rotation and tries to avoid destruction of natural enemies during periods when they are effective. This strategy has also allowed to reduce the number of insecticide applications against the entire range of cotton pests. The authors have found that the application of one treatment with pyriproxyfen in cotton fields during a one-month period followed by an additional treatment with buprofezin, if necessary, did not alter the susceptibility of B. tabaci to either compounds. However, in some greenhouses without resistance management strategy, a ten fold increase in resistance to buprofezin was observed after two or three applications during each season from 1989 to 1993 with this compound, and a 500-fold increase of resistance to pyriproxyfen was recorded after three successive applications (see also RS 93/164 and 93/165).
Sources
Horowitz, A.R.; Forer, G., Ishaaya, I. (1994) Managing Resistance in Bemisia tabaci in Israel with emphasis on cotton.
Pesticide Science, 42 (2), 113-122.
Paper presented at the SCI Pesticide Group Symposium 'Management of Bemisia tabaci', in London, on 1994-01-25.