Insecticide Resistance and Its Management

Webinar Summary

Insecticide resistance remains a persistent challenge in potato production, affecting the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of pest management programs. This webinar will explore the history, current status, and underlying mechanisms of insecticide resistance in potato systems, while placing resistance development in its evolutionary context. Designed for entomologists, agronomists, plant pathologists, crop consultants, graduate students, researchers, and potato growers, the session will provide practical insights into resistance management strategies that can help preserve insecticide efficacy and support sustainable potato production. A live question-and-answer period will follow the presentation.

Learning Objectives

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

• understand why insect pests develop resistance to insecticides.
• know the main methods to manage insecticide resistance on a potato farm.
• adjust farm operations to prevent rapid development of insecticide resistance.

About the Presenters

Moderator: Aaron Buzza | University of Maine

Anders Huseth

Michigan State University

Anders Huseth is an Associate Professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University. His program has responsibility for agricultural insect pest management and related data science across Michigan. His research program focuses on applied pest management solutions for Michigan farmers, with an emphasis on landscape ecology and insecticide resistance management. Anders grew up on a small family farm in Wisconsin and received his PhD focused on Colorado potato beetle at UW-Madison. Most recently, he was an Associate Professor at NC State with sweet potato & row crop responsibility.

Russell L. Groves

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Russell L. Groves is a Professor, Vegetable Pest Management Extension Specialist and Associate Chairperson in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has responsibilities for insect pests affecting all scales of production including commercial, organic and fresh market vegetables. The laboratory group focuses on applied insect ecology with an emphasis on insect vector-borne diseases of specialty crops, insect dispersal and movement, and insecticide resistance management.

Andrei Alyokhin

University of Maine

Andrei Alyokhin is a Professor of Applied Entomology at the University of Maine, with a commodity responsibility for potatoes. His research group is interested in applied insect ecology, behavior, evolution of insecticide resistance, and integrated pest management. He is the author of Non-Native Species: Understanding the Impacts on Ecosystems and Societies and a contributing editor for two editions of Insect Pests of Potato: Global Perspectives on Biology and Management.