Sustainable Pest Control: Understanding Resistance and Enhancing Biocontrol Solutions
Advancing IPM Through Resistance Research and Biological Control Innovation
Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Arthropod Pest Management
Arthropod pests continue to challenge global agriculture, causing significant crop losses through direct damage and as vectors of plant diseases. In the absence of effective control, yield reductions can exceed 20%, depending on the pest-crop system.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) stands as the most sustainable and effective approach to address this threat. By combining biological control, cultural practices, and the strategic use of pesticides, IPM aims to reduce dependency on chemicals while maintaining crop productivity. Aligned with this vision, the European Union’s Directive 2009/128/EC promotes the sustainable use of pesticides and supports alternatives such as non-chemical methods and improved pest management strategies.
Despite the crucial role that chemical pesticides have played in advancing food security, their intensive use has accelerated the evolution of resistance in pest populations. Regulatory restrictions have also reduced the number of approved active substances, underscoring the urgency of preserving the efficacy of the remaining compounds—particularly those that are both effective and environmentally sound.
Our research group addresses these challenges through four complementary research lines:
- Mechanisms of Resistance to Acaricides in Varroa destructor
The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is widely recognized as one of the most critical threats to modern apiculture. Its impact is so severe that, without effective treatment, parasitized honey bee colonies are expected to collapse, usually in a few months. Beekeepers largely depend on a limited number of acaricides—mainly pyrethroids (tau-fluvalinate or flumethrin), coumaphos, and amitraz—for mite control. In some cases, the use of unregulated, non-commercial formulations without veterinary oversight further exacerbates the problem.
Resistance to these compounds has already been reported in several regions, yet there is no systematic framework to monitor resistance levels or map their distribution.
Our research focuses on uncovering the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying acaricide resistance in V. destructor populations. We are also developing high-throughput diagnostic tools to detect resistant mites quickly and reliably. By making these tools and insights accessible to beekeepers and regulatory bodies, we aim to support the implementation of more effective, sustainable mite control strategies.
Research projects
Selected publications
Proteomic variation in the rral secretion of Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera littoralis larvae in response to different food sources
García-Marín E., J. Gamir, and C. M. Crava, 2025. Journal of chemical ecology 51:10.
Constitutive and inducible tomato defenses contribute to Bacillus thuringiensis lethality against Spodoptera exigua. Biological control
Frattini, A., R. M. González-Martínez, J. M. García, Z. Minchev, M. J. Pozo, V. Flors, C. M. Crava, and S. Herrero., 2024. 198: 105624.
Compatibility of mycorrhiza-induced resistance with viral and bacterial entomopathogens in the control of Spodoptera exigua in tomato
Frattini, A., M. Martínez -Solís, A. Llopis-Giménez, M. J. Pozo, J. Rivero, C. M. Crava, and S. Herrero. 2022. Pest management science 78: 4388-4396.
Baculovirus infection affects caterpillar chemoperception
Llopis-Giménez, A., G. Caballero-Vidal, E. Jacquin-Joly, C. M. Crava, and S. Herrero. 2021. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 138: 103648.
