Using refuge plants to manage resistance evolution and crop yield in agricultural fields

Directional changes in toxicity level and refuge frequency across early pest generations reduce selection for the resistance allele more effectively than keeping toxicity and refuge constant, though effect size depends on population parameters.

• Why it matters: Resistance evolution in herbivores undermines pesticide-based agriculture, and real fields experience spatiotemporal shifts in selection pressure plus pest habitat and oviposition preferences that are rarely modeled together.
• What they did: The authors used a stochastic eco-evolutionary plant–herbivore model to compare refuge strategies under directional versus constant toxicity and refuge frequency across pest generations, including evolving niche choice and habitat mating preference.
• The result: Refuge strategies are most effective when niche choice can evolve, while habitat mating preference can either hinder or help resistance management; dominance and resistance costs further shape these outcomes.

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