Sustainable SLW management through improved insect resistance monitoring

Silverleaf whitefly (SLW) honeydew causes sticky cotton and discolouration, which threaten the cotton industry’s profitability and reputation for high quality fibre. Current Integrated Pest Management (IPM) measures rely on conventional insecticides, but misuse promotes rapid resistance development. To assist responsible use of insecticides, this project monitors the resistance of SLW populations to insecticide products, and reports findings to the Transgenic Insecticide Management Strategy technical panel. It also supports agronomists evaluating parasitism levels, works with CottonInfo to monitor parasitism levels in the SLW IPM program, and contributes to biosecurity surveillance for Bemisia tabaci, cryptic species and virus incursions.