The Insecticide Resistance Action Group (IRAG)

The Insecticide Resistance Action Group (IRAG) produces guidance on pesticide resistance issues. Hosted by AHDB, this information can be used to help protect crops and the long-term efficacy of insecticides.

The AHDB-supported Resistance Action Groups (RAGs) are informal, UK-based groups consisting of experts from the Crop Protection Association (CPA) member companies, other representatives from the agrochemical industry, a range of independent organisations, including public-sector research institutes, and the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD).

Find out more about IRAG

Note: See the latest minutes for the current membership of the IRAG Steering Group.

IRAG guidance

Insecticide resistance and its management

Insecticide resistance status in UK cereal crops

Insecticide resistance status in UK oilseed rape crops

Insecticide resistance status in UK brassica crops

Insecticide resistance status in UK potato crops

Insecticide resistance testing

As part of a Defra-funded monitoring project, ADAS will screen peach-potato aphid, bird-cherry oat aphid, grain aphid and cabbage stem flea beetle for insecticide resistance (sent in dead or alive).

Mode of action labelling for UK plant protection products

From 2023, all UK plant protection products will include mode of action (MoA) information on their labels.

The decision – by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – follows a joint statement issued by the UK Resistance Action Groups (UK-RAGs) in December 2017.

This said that greater prominence of MoA information would help farmers and agronomists make informed resistance management decisions.

Since then, members of the industry body ‘CropLife International’ have made a voluntarily commitment to include MoA icons and groups on all product labels by 2023.

Following consultation with the Crop Protection Association (CPA), the HSE announced that it will become a legal requirement to include MoA information on all UK product labels from January 2023.