Improved insecticide resistance monitoring for SLW to support sustainable insect management

Silverleaf Whitefly (SLW) are a major pest of cotton, managed by growers using insecticides as part of an IPM program. A constant challenge is the ability of SLW to develop resistance to insecticides that would undermine IPM. To mitigate this the cotton industry has implemented an Insecticide Resistance Management Strategy IRMS to manage the impact of resistance on productivity and profitability. The threat posed by SLW is ‘Sticky Cotton’ that leads to significant quality downgrades, effecting the reputation of the industry. Merchants are reluctant to purchase cotton from regions that develop a reputation for producing sticky cotton. As a result, management of SLW to avoid sticky cotton is a yearly challenge for many grower-agronomist partnerships. Highly effective insecticides with an IPM fit are rare and the development of next generation insecticides is a lengthy and expensive process. So, it is critical the IRMS manages the sustainable long-term use of insecticides. To keep the IRMS reflective of industry practice this project will collect SLW populations from cotton farms throughout the industry, screen for the presence of resistance to registered chemistry, report findings & make recommendations to the TIMS insecticide tech panel. Further research into the impacts of insecticides on the key SLW natural enemy, Eretmocerus is also needed. The sensitivity of this parasitoid to insecticides is a topic of debate amongst advisors therefore we plan to develop new methods and retest some chemistry to determine their impact on this parasitoid. Management of soil pests remains a challenge for industry. Current over-reliance on the prophylactic use of in furrow insecticide application is not compatible with targets for the industry to reduce its Environmental Toxic Load. This project will conduct research into sampling, pest damage, to ascertain the effectiveness of current management practices with the aim of developing improved practices for soil pest management.