Insecticide resistance in Indonesia: status, challenges, and way forward in management of agricultural pests

Insecticides remain a vital component in Indonesian agriculture and contribute 35.1% of the total pesticides (5426 brand names) in 2025. Insect control in many crops remains highly dependent on insecticides, and their use is often excessive. There are 10 species of agricultural insect reported to be resistant in 18 primary publications, which may not reflect the real situation. Limited research interests to conduct this research may have contributed to the low reported cases. There are common challenges in insect resistance management (IRM) implementation in many parts of the world, including Indonesia. We identified the top four aspects: increase resistance awareness, involve the farmers in the reporting system, improve research facilities, and revisit the regulations. A well-structured IRM program is vital for sustainable crop production, and IRM implementations are still at an early stage with some limitations.