HTIR-IPM for the West

A service of the Western Regional Work Group on Integrated Pest Management:
Consequences of Herbicide Tolerant and Insect Resistant Crops,
in cooperation with Colorado State University

Why are we offering information on HTIR-IPM for the West?

Herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant (HTIR) cultivars continue to be introduced for a growing number of Western crops, including wheat, corn, cotton, canola, sugar beet, sunflower, and alfalfa. Whether developed through genetic engineering or conventional techniques, these crops present important issues for sustainable pest management. These issues include the potential for gene flow to neighboring crops and to wild relatives, shifts in weed species, development of resistance in target pest populations, negative effects on non-target organisms, and changes in recommended pest management practices.

Below are some current statistics for crops acreages in the Western United States and the estimated herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant proportions of those acreage.