Potential Uses of Synergists in Insecticides Resistance Management Accompanied by Their Contributions as Control Agents and Research Tools

Abstract Insecticides form a major proportion of the agricultural products and their importance and impact on the farm cannot be denied. In this context, new molecules and strategies are urgently needed to preserve the efficacy of insecticide-treated materials used in public health. The purpose of this paper is to consider the best possible roles of synergists in insecticide resistance management by highlighting the types of formulations which are available. Among the different strategies proposed, the combination of a repellent with a carbamate or an organophosphate is an effective approach to manage pesticide resistance by the addition of synergists to counteract metabolic resistance. Synergists are also useful for laboratory investigation of resistance mechanisms through their ability to inhibit specific metabolic pathways. These natural or synthetic chemicals are by themselves considered nontoxic, which increase the lethality and effectiveness of currently available insecticides. The mode of action of the majority of synergists is to block the metabolic systems that would otherwise break down insecticide molecules. These interfere with the detoxication of insecticides through their action on polysubstrate monooxygenases and other enzyme systems. The role of synergists in resistance management is related directly to an enzyme-inhibiting action, restoring the susceptibility of insects to the chemical, which would otherwise require higher levels of the toxicant for their control. Synergists are among the most straightforward tools for overcoming of metabolic resistance because they can directly inhibit the resistance mechanism itself. Their effective application against agricultural pests has offered tremendous promise, but achieved little utility. Synergism is the application of a mixture in which one component when used alone is inactive at the rate of treatment and insecticide combinations can also give a greater than additive effect. Their contributions as research tools and as control agents are quite different, these can be less active on predators than pests, and at times these approaches have vital implications in integrated pest management.

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