CropLife Australia’s Resistance Management Strategies for fungicides, herbicides and insecticides assist farmers, agronomists and environmental land managers to ensure important crop protection products remain viable and effective tools. The 2021-22 strategies are official today and are online now.

Chief Executive Officer of CropLife Australia, the national peak industry organisation for the plant science sector, Mr Matthew Cossey, said, “Crop pests, such as insects, weeds and diseases continue to be major threats to the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Australia’s farming sector. To ensure the longevity and viability of agricultural chemical products, appropriate strategies to minimise resistance must be implemented.

“The strategies are developed as part of CropLife’s and our members’ commitment to make the most up-to-date resistance management advice freely available. They are reviewed and updated on an annual basis by scientific technical review committees in consultation with relevant national and international experts.

“Importantly, the resistance management strategies do not replace product labels, they simply supplement them. Crop protection products must be handled and applied as specified on the registered product label or approved permit.

“Following the label ensures user safety which is something farmers and other pesticide users need to have as top of mind. National Farm Safety Week is a good chance to be reminded about the safe use of on-farm chemicals.”

This year’s update of CropLife Australia’s Resistance Management Strategies coincides with the launch of updated herbicide mode of action (MoA) classifications. The new classifications capture new active constituents and ensure the Australian MoA classification system is future proofed and remains globally relevant for farmers and agronomists

Mr Cossey continued, “Farming is becoming increasingly global. Farmers, agronomists and academics around the world are now, more than ever, sharing and accessing information to assist them to grow crops, while managing sustainability issues.

“It’s important then that the herbicide mode of action classification system in Australia is aligned with the global one.

“The global classification system is based on numerical codes which provides infinite capacity to accommodate new herbicide modes of action coming to market. In Australia, we’ve been using letters – which clearly are not infinite.

“Ultimately, this is about continuing best practice in modernising Australia’s farming sector and creating efficiencies for growers.”

The new mode of action classification system will start to appear in market from early 2022 and be fully implemented by 2024.

Mr Cossey concluded, “The plant science industry continues to invest billions of dollars into research and development of new, effective and innovative agricultural chemical products each year, allowing farmers to access economically viable and environmentally sustainable crop protection solutions.

“This investment includes a commitment to the responsible and ethical management of industry products throughout their lifecycle.

“Having an integrated pest management system and an effective resistance management strategy for chemical crop protection products is crucial to the long-term viability and profitability of Australian farming. I strongly encourage all farmers, spray applicators, agronomists and environmental land managers to use these strategies for important and current advice on managing resistance so crop protection products maintain their effectiveness and the life of these crucial farming tools is extended.”