View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Digital Repository @ Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development Extension Community and Economic Development Publications 12-2014 Farmer Perspectives on Pesticide Resistance J. Gordon Arbuckle Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_communities_pubs Part of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, and the Rural Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Arbuckle, J. Gordon, "Farmer Perspectives on Pesticide Resistance" (2014). Extension Community and Economic Development Publications. 25. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/extension_communities_pubs/25 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publications in the Iowa State University Digital Repository are made available for historical purposes only. Users are hereby notified that the content may be inaccurate, out of date, incomplete and/or may not meet the needs and requirements of the user. Users should make their own assessment of the information and whether it is suitable for their intended purpose. For current publications and information from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, please visit http://www.extension.iastate.edu. Farmer Perspectives on Pesticide Resistance Introduction The effectiveness of pest management practices depends on maintaining a sufficientlylow Pesticide resistance is on the rise in Iowa and level of resistance to control techniques. Pest the Midwest. Most corn and soybean farmers susceptibility to management practices can be in the Corn Belt grow plants that have been considered to be a “common pool resource,” or genetically modified to express resistance a resource from which all farmers and society to the herbicide glyphosate. In the case of can benefit. When pests evolve resistance to corn, many hybrids have been genetically chemicals used to manage them, that common modified to express one or more Bt(Bacillus benefit is eroded.1 thuringiensis) proteins that are toxic to western corn rootworm, a major insect pest. The The 2012 and 2013 Iowa Farm and Rural Life development of crops that are genetically Poll surveys included a number of questions modified to tolerate glyphosate has been tied to about management for herbicide-resistant 4 a substantial reduction in tillage, which has led weeds and Bt-resistant corn rootworm. to reduced soil erosion. The advent of Bt corn Questions focused on farmer experience has been credited with a major reduction in the with resistant weeds and rootworms, concern use of broad-spectrum insecticides. However, about resistance, use of various resistance widespread and continuous use of these pest management practices, and the perceived management technologies has led to selection effectiveness of those practices. pressure, or conditions that are conducive to In 2014, the Farm Poll posed two sets of the evolution of resistances to their modes of questions about the evolution of pesticide pesticide action.1 resistance. The questions were developed As a result, weeds that have evolved resistance in consultation with Iowa State University to glyphosate and other herbicides2 and (ISU) agronomists, entomologists, plant western corn rootworm that have evolved pathologists, and weed scientists. One resistance to Bt3 are becoming increasingly question set measured general perspectives common in Iowa and other Midwestern states, on pest resistance management. A second and pose a growing threat to crop production. question evaluated farmer beliefs about the degree to which different stakeholders are Table of Contents IMethods .............................................................................. 2 Information sources and decision making ............................. 4 Iowa farmers’ experience with resistant pests ........................ 2 Who is responsible for resistance management? .................... 6 Attitudes and concerns ......................................................... 3 Conclusions .......................................................................... 7 PM 3070 December 2014 responsible for resistance management actions. were mailed in February 2014 to a statewide A number of complementary questions on panel of 2,218 farmers, and 1,128 surveys information sources and decision making were were returned, resulting in a response rate of also asked. Questions focused on who farmers 51 percent. Because herbicide and Bt resistance trust for information on pest management, and management issues are most applicable to to what degree they depend on professional row crop farmers, the results presented in advisors to help them make pest management this report are for a subsample of 889 farmers decisions. This short report presents the who planted corn and/or soybean in 2013. results for pesticide resistance management Information on response rates and numbers of and related questions from the 2012, 2013, respondents for the 2012 and 2013 Farm Poll and 2014 surveys. surveys are available on the Farm Poll website (http://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/ifrlp/ Methods about.html). The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is an annual survey of Iowa farmers. It collects Iowa farmers’ experience and disseminates information on issues of with resistant pests importance to agricultural stakeholders The 2013 and 2014 Farm Poll surveys asked and rural communities across Iowa and farmers who planted corn and/or soybean the Midwest. Conducted every year since the previous year if they believed they had its establishment in 1982, it is the longest- herbicide-resistant weeds or Bt-resistant insects running survey of its kind in the nation. ISU in any of the fields they farmed. The 2013 Extension and Outreach, the Iowa Agriculture survey listed several types of herbicides and and Home Economics Experiment Station, asked farmers if they had weeds that were the Iowa Department of Agriculture and resistant to them in the 2012 growing season. Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Agricultural Thirty-two percent of farmers indicated that Statistics Service are partners in the Farm Poll. they believed they had encountered weeds that Most of the data presented in this report are were resistant to glyphosate (table 1). Fourteen from the 2014 Farm Poll. Questionnaires percent reported that they had weeds that were Table 1. Percent of farmers reporting herbicide resistant weeds and/or Bt-resistant corn rootworm Don’t Ye s No know — Percentage — In 2012, did you have weeds that were resistant to glyphosate (Roundup) 32 56 12 herbicides in any of the fields that you farm? ...................................................... In 2012, did you have weeds that were resistant to ALS inhibitor herbicides 14 65 21 (e.g., Classic, Harmony, Firstrate) in any of the fields that you farm? ............... In 2012, did you have weeds that were resistant to triazine herbicides in any 5 67 28 of the fields that you farm? .................................................................................... In 2012, did you have weeds that were resistant to HPPD inhibitor herbicides 4 65 31 (e.g., Callisto, Impact) in any of the fields that you farm? ................................... In 2012, did you have weeds that were resistant to PPO inhibitor herbicides 3 63 34 (e.g., Flexstar, Authority, Kixor) in any of the fields that you farm? ................... In 2013, did you identify Bt-resistant corn rootworm in any of your fields? ...... 12 80 9 2 — IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION AND OUTREACH resistant to ALS inhibitors. Minor percentages Attitudes and concerns (less than 5 percent) believed that they had encountered weeds that were resistant to other Ten items assessed farmers’ perspectives types of herbicides. on several aspects of resistance evolution and management. “Pesticide treadmill” is A single item in the 2014 Farm Poll asked a commonly used phrase that describes a about Bt-resistant corn rootworm. The question repeating cycle in which pests (weeds, insects, was simply, “In 2013, did you identify Bt- pathogens) evolve resistance to management resistant corn rootworm in any of your fields?” strategies, necessitating the use of higher rates Twelve percent of farmers who had planted of pesticides and/or alternative pesticides or corn reported that they had encountered Bt- management methods. Several items focused resistant corn rootworm. on aspects of that phenomenon. Ninety-one Table 2. Corn/soybean farmer perspectives on pest resistance management Strongly Strongly Disagree Disagree Uncertain Agree Agree —Percentage— Pesticide Treadmill I feel like pest (weed, disease, and insect) management is a never-ending technology treadmill ... 0.8 2.4 6.3 58.6 31.9 When new pest management technologies are introduced, it is only a matter of time before pests evolve resistance .............................................................. 0.8 2.2 15.0 58.8 23.2 Seed and chemical companies should do a better job of keeping up with evolution of resistance in pests ...... 1.6 5.7 26.9 49.2 16.6 Concerns I am concerned that herbicide-resistant weeds will become a problem in my area (from the 2012 survey).. 1.1 5.1 11. 9 48.8 33.2 I am concerned that Bt-resistant insects will become a problem in my area (from the 2012 survey) ................... 1.7 7. 8 28.2 45.4 16.8 Herbicide-resistant weeds are not a major concern because new technologies will be developed to manage them ...................................................................