New evidence of phosphine resistance in stored product insects in Israel

Abstract: Our study is the first to report the detection of phosphine resistance in Israel.
Resistance was studied in three populations of T. castaneum, S. oryzae and O. surinamensis.
We have detected variable levels of phosphine resistance among the tested pests. The frequency of resistance in individuals indicate insufficiency of fumigation practices. Thus, it is crucial to establish a national resistance monitoring program, by recording the occurrence of resistance in different stored product insect species in different regions of Israel. Furthermore, we recommend considering substantial improvements in storage management.