Overcoming the insecticidal pressure: A brown planthopper prospective

Abstract

In worldwide agricultural practices, the use of insecticides can be the most common thing. Overall, the present agriculture is heavily dependent on insecticides to control and mitigate various insect infestations. Brown planthopper (BPH), also known as Nilaparvata lugens is a major rice pest causing devastating crop losses in Asia. Albeit as many as 43 BPH-resistant genes have been identified in rice and related wild varieties, still BPH infestation is a major drawback in rice production. Predominantly, BPH is controlled by the use of chemical insecticides, which often lead to the 3R effect; residue, resurgence, and resistance. In this article, the various strategies adopted by BPH to evade or neutralize the insecticide pressure has been discussed. The article focused on two of the major ways i.e., the changes in BPH metabolism and target sites of the insecticide resistance mechanism seen in BPH. Finally, a conclusion has been drawn on the present agricultural practices exploiting the synthetic insecticides and possible alternatives have been proposed.