Do pesticides promote or hinder sustainability in agriculture? The challenge of sustainable use of pesticides in modern agriculture

Insect declines are being reported worldwide for flying, ground, and aquatic lineages. Most reports come from western and northern Europe, where the insect fauna is well-studied and there are considerable demographic data for many taxonomically disparate lineages. Additional cases of faunal losses have been noted from Asia, North America, the Arctic, the Neotropics, and elsewhere. While this review addresses both species loss and population declines, its emphasis is on the latter. Declines of abundant species can be especially worrisome, given that they anchor trophic interactions and shoulder many of the essential ecosystem services of their respective communities. A review of the factors believed to be responsible for observed collapses and those perceived to be especially threatening to insects form the core of this treatment. In addition to widely recognized threats to insect biodiversity, e.g., habitat destruction, agricultural intensification (including pesticide use), climate change, and invasive species, this assessment highlights a few less commonly considered factors such as atmospheric nitrification from the burning of fossil fuels and the effects of droughts and changing precipitation patterns. Because the geographic extent and magnitude of insect declines are largely unknown, there is an urgent need for monitoring efforts, especially across ecological gradients, which will help to identify important causal factors in declines. This review also considers the status of vertebrate insectivores, reporting bias, challenges inherent in collecting and interpreting insect demographic data, and cases of increasing insect abundance. Show more

Insecticide resistance is a long standing and expanding problem for pest arthropod control. Effective insecticide resistance management (IRM) is essential if the utility of current and future insecticides is to be preserved. Established in 1984, the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) is an international association of crop protection companies. IRAC serves as the Specialist Technical Group within CropLife International focused on ensuring the long term efficacy of insect, mite and tick control products through effective resistance management for sustainable agriculture and improved public health. A key function of IRAC is the continued development of the Mode of Action (MoA) classification scheme, which provides up-to-date information on the modes of action of new and established insecticides and acaricides and which serves as the basis for developing appropriate IRM strategies for crop protection and vector control. The IRAC MoA classification scheme covers more than 25 different modes of action and at least 55 different chemical classes. Diversity is the spice of resistance management by chemical means and thus it provides an approach to IRM providing a straightforward means to identify potential rotation/alternation options. Show more