What is one of the key practices in resistance management?

Employing an integrated pest management (IPM) program is a key practice in resistance management because it takes a holistic approach to pest control. IPM combines various strategies, including biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods, to manage pests in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. By incorporating multiple methods, IPM reduces reliance on any single control tactic, such as chemical pesticides. This diversity in management tactics helps limit the chances that pest populations will develop resistance to any one method or chemical, promoting long-term effectiveness.

Choosing pesticides with similar modes of action, for example, increases the risk of resistance development because pests exposed to these chemicals may adapt more easily when they are consistently subjected to the same mechanism of action. Similarly, applying multiple pesticides simultaneously or using them only when pests are abundant may not promote the varied approaches necessary for effective resistance management.