Temporal Refuges: A New Tool for Resistance Management

Abstract

The Proactive Resistance Management (PRM) web application introduces a new approach to insect resistance management by visualizing “temporal refuges” — periods when pests are not exposed to residues of a given mode of action (MoA). Using pesticide use reporting data, the tool estimates exposure windows, merges overlapping spray periods, and calculates the proportion of residue-free days across successive 90-day intervals at the community scale (~9 square miles). The resulting charts allow growers and pest control advisors to quickly assess refuge availability for multiple MoAs and make more informed insecticide choices. While not prescriptive, these outputs highlight opportunities to partition MoAs through time, preserve susceptibility in pest populations, and delay resistance. By transforming complex pesticide use records into simple, interpretable visual outputs, the PRM tool provides a practical and scalable resource to guide community-level decision making and sustain the long-term efficacy of available chemistries.