The evolution of IPM and the future of plant protection.

The evolution of the science and the application of integrated pest management (IPM) is driven by advances in pest biology and technology, and also by political and social forces. Advances in science will always be important, but advances in technology will change the speed and manner in which these are applied in the field. Molecular methods for identification and quantification of insects, pathogens and weeds will allow for rapid detection ofpests as they enter a field, or a country. Rapid assessments of pesticide resistance and virulence genes will allow for selection of the appropriate crop protection material or resistant cultivar. Weather forecasts will be more accurate and monitoring microclimates will be easier. Biological controls will be more reliable when they can be selected for a site-specific situation. Robot technology could mean many small machines working in a field, day and night, to monitor and control pests. Treatments will be applied to a specific plant or leaf, and there will be more mechanical control of weeds and insects. There is even the question of whether crop protection materials will become obsolete. Precision plant breeding, using CRISPR/Cas 9, could mean the end to crop protection materials (and biocontrols) because it will be possible to engineer plants with resistance to diseases and insect pests, and even improve competitive ability against weeds. One important evolutionary principle that must be considered with every change to IPM is the role of selection pressure. Pests are ingenious in evolving ways to circumvent control measures.