The growing concern of pesticide resistance developing in pests, disease and weeds, and the interim and long-term solutions to addressing it will be the focus of this year’s New Zealand Plant Protection Society (NZPPS) symposium.
Resistance to pesticides is a major issue from a crop protection perspective in horticultural and arable sectors. It also impacts weed management in pastoral farming and along roadsides, railways and in urban environments.
As pesticides have become more specific in their activity, the risks and occurrence of resistance developing in the pests, pathogens and weeds has increased. Integrated pest, disease and weed management strategies, incorporating biological and cultural control methods to reduce the reliance on pesticides are being developed and implemented using various approaches appropriate to invertebrate pests, pathogens and weeds. These aim to help prevent and/or manage resistance.
Co-hosted by A Lighter Touch, the symposium titled ‘Pesticide resistance – Better managing the path forward’ is being held at Rydges Latimer in Christchurch on August 11 and immediately precedes the NZPPS conference running from August 12-14.
International keynote speaker Dr Fran Lopez-Ruiz, Associate Professor at Perth’s Curtin University’s Centre for Crop and Disease Management has more than 20 years’ experience in fungicide resistance. Since 2014, he has led the university’s Fungicide Resistance Group, which aims to understand how fungicide resistance develops and how to improve the management of fungicides to reduce the impact of diseases in the field.
Dr Fran Lopez-Ruiz
Fran has played a pivotal role in the discovery of fungicide resistance across several crop pathogens and his team leads research in net blotches internationally. The study of the molecular mechanisms driving fungicide resistance has allowed them to develop novel monitoring methodologies to help prevent resistant disease reaching epidemic levels.
In addition to his work in the discovery of fungicide resistance, Fran leads the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN) that provides industry training on how to manage resistance regionally. His team’s research has also contributed to fast tracking the release of new fungicides for the management of fungicide resistant wheat powdery mildew.
Fran joins other expert speakers including industry leaders, scientists, regulators and stakeholders and more.
Both New Zealand regulatory bodies, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and NZ Food Safety (NZFS), responsible for Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicine (ACVM) registrations, will present at the symposium, providing an update on work being undertaken to modernise the regulatory system.
Resistance screening and case studies of how resistance has been addressed in different sectors will also feature in the programme. The full list of speakers and topics under discussion can be viewed here.
The symposium is generously supported by sponsors A Lighter Touch, Corteva Agriscience, PGG Wrightson, Fruitfed Supplies, Vegetables New Zealand, Potatoes New Zealand, Onions New Zealand, Tomatoes New Zealand, Bioeconomy Science Institute – Plant & Food Research and Adama + Grochem. Register here to be part of this important industry conversation.
