June 29, 2018  |  Tracey Peake

In this episode we talk with Fred Gould, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Agriculture and Life Sciences, about the rising rates of herbicide and pesticide resistance, the current state of the resistance arms race and what we need to do in the future to protect our crops and human health from resistant pests.

Length: 15 minutes

Related: Wicked evolution: Can we address the sociobiological dilemma of pesticide resistance?

Authors: Fred Gould, Zachary Brown and Jennifer Kuzma, North Carolina State University

Published: May 17, 2018, in Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.aar3780

Abstract: Resistance to insecticides and herbicides has cost billions of U.S. dollars in the agricultural sector and could result in millions of lives lost to insect-vectored diseases. We mostly continue to use pesticides as if resistance is a temporary issue that will be addressed by commercialization of new pesticides with novel modes of action. However, current evidence suggests that insect and weed evolution may outstrip our ability to replace outmoded chemicals and other control mechanisms. To avoid this outcome, we must address the mix of ecological, genetic, economic, and sociopolitical factors that prevent implementation of sustainable pest management practices. We offer a proposition.

A version of this post originally appeared on NC State News