Regional Resistance Management Plan
Farmers across Southeast Asia need access to all the tools in the IPM toolbox to successfully combat FAW.
Regional Resistance Management
Preventing or mitigating the onset of resistance in FAW populations to control measures, especially synthetic pesticides and Bt transgenes, is one of the critical aspects of the ASEAN FAW Action Plan. This includes understanding FAW population dynamics and resistance profiles across the region.
A regional approach is necessary as no country alone can effectively manage the evolution of resistance to currently used chemistries in ASEAN countries, given the transboundary nature of the pest and its ability to move rapidly over significant distances. A good strategy applied in one country will be ineffective if resistance emerges in neighbouring countries and so the need for a regional approach.
Any resistance management strategy needs well-coordinated multi-stakeholder action underpinned by transparent science-based approaches. A strong regulatory environment is critical to support the implementation of appropriate and timely actions at the farm, national and regional levels.
This project has three main components:
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Regional FAW surveillance and resistance monitoring
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Country-specific and regional FAW resistance management
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Integrating host plant resistance with other compatible IPM tactics for sustainable FAW control across Southeast Asia
Regional Resistance Management Workshop 2021
Webinar: Regional Resistance Management Workshop
This seminar discusses resistance management as a vital concern in controlling fall armyworms in ASEAN. The exciting line-up of speakers included:
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Dr Andi Trisyono from Universitas Gadjah Mada: The role of host plant resistance in managing resistance and enhancing the resilience of ASEAN maize crops (02:55)
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Dr B. M. Prasanna from Global Maize Program: Host plant resistance (06:52)
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Dr Srinivas Parimi from IRAC ASIA: Good practice and current management strategies (38:50)
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Dr Tek Tay from CSIRO: Resistance research in Southeast Asia and Australia (01:04:40)
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Dr Silvana Paula from the University of Florida: Experience in the US in managing FAW resistance - tactics, challenges, and opportunities (01:24:15)
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Dr Kongming Wu : Resistance research in China (01:49:10)
Regional Resistance Management Workshop 2022
Video
SAWBO-produced video on how to identify and scout FAW
Regional Resistance Management Webinar 2025
This seminar was run in collaboration with the Australian National FAW Project team under the VG22006: National Fall Armyworm Innovation System for the Australian Vegetable Industry project, led by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI). The webinar was held on December 4, 2025, with three keynote speakers.
The entire webinar session can be viewed here:
Individual speaker presentations can be found here:
Staying Ahead of Resistance: Lessons with Dr David Mota-Sanchez, Co-director of the Arthropod Pesticide Resistance Database, Department of Entomology at Michigan State University.
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Field-Level Realities: Managing Resistance with Dr Dominic Reisig, Professor and Extension Specialist in the Entomology & Plant Pathology Department at North Carolina State University.
FAW Resistance in Indonesia: Cases, Risks & Needs with Dr Andi Trisyono, Professor of Entomology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, Member of the FAO expert panel on Pesticide Management.
Selection of Research Links
A. Global Reviews & Conceptual / Modelling Papers
Mamahit, J. V. & Kolondam, B. J. (2023). A review on fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) insecticide resistance. International Journal of Research and Review, 10(5):146–151. At https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20230519
Baudrot, V., et al. (2023). Managing pesticide resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda: A spatially explicit framework for identifying optimal treatment strategies. Ecological Modelling, 483:110416. At https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2023.110416
B. Field-Evolved Resistance & Monitoring (Africa, Asia, MENA)
Khan, H. A. A. & Ali, M. (2025). First report of field-evolved resistance to insecticides in Spodoptera frugiperda from Punjab, Pakistan. PLOS ONE, 20(1):e0324857. At https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324857
Moustafa, M. A. M., et al. (2024). Monitoring and detection of insecticide resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda: Evidence for field-evolved resistance in Egypt. Insects, 15(9):705. At https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15090705
Chen, H.-L., et al. (2023). Resistance monitoring and mechanism in Spodoptera frugiperda for chlorantraniliprole from Sichuan Province, China. Frontiers in Physiology, 14:1180655. At https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1180655
Mao, K.-K., et al. (2023). Rapid test to detect insecticide resistance in field populations of Spodoptera frugiperda. Frontiers in Physiology, 14:1254765. At https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1254765
C. Molecular Mechanisms, Mutations & Genomic Surveillance
Mavridis, K., et al. (2025). Molecular surveillance of resistance mutations in invasive populations of Spodoptera frugiperda in Europe. Pest Management Science, 81(8):4821–4830.
At https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8849
Saladini di Rovetino, M., et al. (2025). Monitoring the molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda populations from Thailand. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 214:106599. At https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106599
Cai, Y., et al. (2024). Discovery of novel potential insecticide-resistance mutations in Spodoptera frugiperda. Insects, 15(3):186. At https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15030186
Yainna, S., et al. (2021). Geographic monitoring of insecticide resistance mutations in native and invasive Spodoptera frugiperda. Insects, 12(5):468. At https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050468
D. Mechanistic & Detoxification Pathways
Mahalle, R. M., et al. (2024). Identification of differentially expressed miRNAs associated with diamide detoxification pathways in Spodoptera frugiperda. Scientific Reports, 14:2548. At https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54771-w
E. Southeast Asia – Field Studies & Regional Monitoring
Thirawut, S., et al. (2023). Pesticide susceptibility monitoring of fall armyworms: A simple methodology for information-sharing among Southeast Asian countries. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, 4:19. At https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-023-00160-8
ACIAR CROP/2020/144 (2023). Characterisation of Spodoptera frugiperda populations in South-East Asia and Northern Australia. Project link: https://www.aciar.gov.au/project/crop-2020-144
Key outputs: bioassays + genomic resistance allele mapping across Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar + Northern Australia.
F. Pacific / Australia – Resistance Baselines & Pathways
Tay, W. T., et al. (2022). Resistance bioassays and allele characterization inform analysis of Spodoptera frugiperda introduction pathways in Asia and Australia. Journal of Economic Entomology, 115(6):1790–1805.
At https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toac151
G. China (Comparative Baseline, Useful for SEA)
Zhang, D.-D., et al. (2021). Insecticide resistance monitoring for invasive Spodoptera frugiperda in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 20(3):783–791. At https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63392-5
Further Resources
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Workshop on Regional Resistance Plan
This workshop discussed the importance of regionally coordinated resistance management planning and provided a background on work planned and the latest research from experts in the team working on the project. A PDF of the presentations can be found here.