What strategy can help delay the development of pesticide resistance?

Using pesticides only when absolutely necessary and alternating classes is an effective strategy to delay the development of pesticide resistance. This approach reduces the selective pressure on pest populations, allowing non-resistant individuals to survive and breed, thus maintaining some level of genetic diversity.

By alternating classes, different modes of action are utilized, making it more difficult for pests to adapt and develop resistance to any one pesticide. This strategy promotes the sustainability of pesticide effectiveness over time, as resistance is less likely to develop when pests are exposed to a variety of chemicals that target different biological processes.

In contrast, using a single pesticide repeatedly increases the likelihood of resistance, as pests that can withstand that specific pesticide will survive and reproduce. Waiting until pests are overwhelming can lead to high pest populations that overwhelm the effectiveness of control measures, making management more challenging. Applying multiple pesticides at once can lead to increased toxicity and environmental concerns and may not contribute to delaying resistance effectively, as pests exposed to multiple compounds may still develop resistance.