RAW - Default | Montana State University

The RAW website is under construction.

What is the current problem?

Across the western US, alfalfa weevils inmultiple areas have begun to developresistance to the pyrethroid insecticides that currently provide thebackbone of weevil management plans. Once resistance establishes in an insect population, itcontinues to increase as long as the selection pressure (the insecticide use) continues.Weevils resistant to a given pyrethroid will likely be cross-resistant (orquickly develop cross-resistance) to all MoA group 3A (pyrethroid) insecticides, rendering the most commonly used and affordable insecticide class ineffective.

What is resistance?

Insecticide resistance can generally be defined as “a heritable change inthesensitivity of a pest population that is reflected in the repeated failure of a product to achieve the expected level of control when used according to the labelrecommendation for that pest species” (IRAC, Insecticide Resistance ActionCommittee, technical group of the industry association CropLife recognized by theWorld Health Organization, WHO).

What is the purpose of the RAW Project?

RAW is multistate research and extension collaboration to develop and deliver solutions to alfalfa stakeholders to mitigate the economic impact of insecticide resistant weevils.