Pest Resistance
Pest Resistance, aka Pesticide Resistance, is a genetically based phenomenon. It occurs when a pest population (insects for instance) are exposed to a pesticide. Even though most of the insects are killed when they are exposed to the pesticide, some survive. This can be for various reasons, such as; genetic mutations that cause the insect to be resistant or the insect being previously sprayed by the pesticide and it becoming resistant to it. The offspring of these survivors carry the genes of the parents, and almost always inherit the ability to be resistant to the pesticides the parents have been resistant to. The more times a population is exposed to a pesticide, the more quickly they will develop a resistance to it. Also, the more generations that appear in that certain family, the less impact the pesticide will have on that certain pest.
This can be negative because then the pests that are harming your crops and/or land are getting harder and harder to kill. For farmers, this can mean that more crops are being eaten by animals because they are no longer dying from the pesticides that are safe to use on the land. When pesticides are used on crops, most of the insects are killed but the ones that survive pass on the resistant gene and more and more of the insects survive after each application. Since insects can reproduce every few weeks, there can be a whole new generation within a few weeks and then can all become resistant within a few months of the first application.
Recent studies have shown that over 500 species of insects are resistant to pesticides. Also, 270 weed species, 150 pathogens, and half a dozen rat species are resistant to pesticides that people use to depend heavily on.
This can be negative because then the pests that are harming your crops and/or land are getting harder and harder to kill. For farmers, this can mean that more crops are being eaten by animals because they are no longer dying from the pesticides that are safe to use on the land. When pesticides are used on crops, most of the insects are killed but the ones that survive pass on the resistant gene and more and more of the insects survive after each application. Since insects can reproduce every few weeks, there can be a whole new generation within a few weeks and then can all become resistant within a few months of the first application.
Recent studies have shown that over 500 species of insects are resistant to pesticides. Also, 270 weed species, 150 pathogens, and half a dozen rat species are resistant to pesticides that people use to depend heavily on.