Climate enhances pest resistance to pesticides

Global warming is expanding the habitats of many agricultural pests, increasing their breeding season duration, and accelerating maturation. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, between 1990 and 2024, the global volume of pesticide application increased more than twofold to 3.92 million metric tonnes of active ingredients. Annually, diseases and pests destroy from 20% to 40% of the global harvest, causing 220 billion dollars in damage.

As researchers note, the biological mechanisms that help insects endure extreme heat simultaneously increase their resistance to insecticides. Accelerated maturation and the emergence of new generations contribute to the rapid evolution of such resistance. For example, over the past 50 years, the winter survival zone of the diamondback moth has increased by approximately 2.4 million square kilometers, and the pesticide resistance levels in these zones have turned out to be significantly higher. Studies in China on the spider mite Tetranychus truncatus have shown that heat shock protein genes are activated at high temperatures and following acaricide application, protecting cells from stress.

Experts recommend implementing integrated pest management: monitoring fields, applying chemicals only for economic reasons and at recommended application rates, utilizing natural predators, adjusting sowing dates, alternating preparations, and protecting pollinators. However, it is difficult for smallholder farmers to apply such methods due to a lack of resources and fear of short-term losses amid high production costs.