IRAC Test Methods for Myzus persicae nymphs (No. 023) and for Aphis gossypii nymphs (No. 024), both for use with the MoA Group 28 active, cyantraniliprole, have been developed and posted on the website by the IRAC Methods Team. The methods are available for downloaded from the IRAC website via the links: Method No. 023 and Method No. 024.
IRAC Test Method (No. 019) for aphids has just been finalised, approved and posted in the Methods Team area of the IRAC website. The method is suitable for monitoring resistance in a number of different aphid species and product classes, the details of which along with a method description are outlined in the Test Method document.
The IRAC Chairman, Ralf Nauen and one of the Vice-Chairs, Russell Slater have been asked to present at the Inaugural Conference on Research and Development for Crop Protection Products in Barcelona on May 18th and19th, 2010. This will be an opportunity to raise awareness of IRAC and the importance of insecticide resistance management and possibly attract new members to IRAC. A circular about the meeting will be available shortly and more information is available on the Informa website.
A symposium and workshop on Insecticide Resistance Management was held in Subang Jaya, Malaysia on December 7th 2009. The event was organized and sponsored by the IRAC South East Asia with the assistance of the Malaysian Croplife and Public Health Association and the theme was “Bringing Science and Technology to Farmers in Insect Resistance Management”. It was a highly successful meeting with 52 attendees from the crop protection industry, Department of Agriculture and Regulatory, University and Research Institutions and an NGO.
Summary of the discussions and feedback:-
- The resistance issue is well recognized especially in the Plutella and vegetable market.
- There are programs by AgChem industry and Government Department and Institutes on resistance management but the strategies need to be synchronized and implemented effectively and timely.
- Educating and transferring the knowledge on insect resistance management to the farmers through Extension Workers and Working Groups is suggested to be implemented more often.
- In the future, product labeling should include Mode of Actions classifications and IRM statements so that the relevant authorities can make the right recommendations to the end users .
- The Pesticides Industry is suggested to collaborate with Government research institutions to come out with new technologies to address the resistance issue and ensure the new technologies are implemented effectively in the field.
- The Pesticides Industry is recommended to work under the CropLife umbrella to avoid bias among the companies in promoting their products for any particular programs.
- The group also emphasized that technology transfer should ensure that the distributors and dealers understand the principles and guidelines of insect resistance and help to transfer the knowledge to the growers.
A new international WG investigating and monitoring resistance in lepidopteran pest has been formed with IRAC members from a number of companies sitting on the team. A first conference call of the new WG was held in December 2009 and it was agreed that one of the first priorities would be to investigate the resistance status of the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta.
This is a serious endemic tomato pest in South American countries, but recently its geographical distribution has expanded to Europe, where for the first time at the end of 2006 it was found in Spain. By 2009 it had spread to several other Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Algeria, France, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and Malta. In addition, in 2009, it was also detected for the first time in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
A meeting of the EPPO Resistance Panel was held in Vienna at the end of October and attended by the IRAC Chairman, Ralf Nauen. Some of the areas discussed included:
- Updates on the activities of the 3 RACs
- The new chapter on comparative resistance risk assessment to be added into the EPPO Standard PP213 (Resistance Risk Analysis)
- The conversion of the PSD Guideline on Insecticide Mixtures to an EPPO standard
Further details will be available from the meeting minutes
The latest edition of the scheme, version 6.3, has now been published which includes some minor changes to the classification descriptors as well as the addition of a new Group 25: Mitochondrial complex II electron transport inhibitors which includes the active cyenopyrafen. The active cyflumetofen has also been included in the scheme but in the group for Compounds of unknown or uncertain MOA until further information is available on its MOA.
