FAQ

The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) is a global organisation that was formed in 1984 and operates under the auspices of CropLife International. IRAC provides a coordinated industry response to prevent or delay the development of resistance in insect and mite pests. There are IRAC Country and Regional Group committees in many parts of the world researching and responding to local resistance issues as well as IRAC International which operates at a global level. By coordinating global efforts, IRAC aims to ensure the long-term efficacy and sustainability of insecticides in pest control while minimizing the development and spread of insecticide resistance. It plays a crucial role in promoting responsible insecticide use and safeguarding the effectiveness of these tools in various sectors.

The Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) welcomes the participation and membership of senior technical people from the R & D functions of crop protection and public health manufacturers, normally but not always, affiliated with CropLife through membership in the relevant National Associations. The contact person from a member company is typically a senior scientist with the technical expertise and authority to represent his/her company. Collectively, these contact persons foster technical collaboration. Representatives of company marketing functions may be members of Working Groups providing their inclusion aids Working Group decision making. All members are made aware of and must work in compliance with anti-trust regulations.

Current members of IRAC International are ADAMA, BASF, Bayer CropScience, Corteva Agriscience, FMC, Mitsui Chemicals, Nihon Nohyaku, Sumitomo Chemical, Syngenta and UPL Open Ag with other companies and local experts members of the Working Groups and Country Teams.

IRAC operates with a structured framework that facilitates collaboration and decision-making among its members and shared responsibility among the representative scientists from the member companies. IRAC International and Executive functions at a global level and includes a matrix of Teams and Working Groups but also works with the IRAC Country and Regional Groups which operate typically at a local or regional level to tackle specific insecticide resistance issues and problems. 

The day-to-day running of IRAC International is through the IRAC Executive but as a technical committee of the CropLife International Product Stewardship Committee, the governing body is CropLife International.

Current members of IRAC International are ADAMA, BASF, Bayer CropScience, Corteva Agriscience, FMC, Mitsui Chemicals, Nihon Nohyaku, Sumitomo Chemical, Syngenta and UPL Open Ag with other companies and local experts members of the Working Groups and Country Teams.

The chair rotates, typically every two years, between the the IRAC member companies who are also members of CropLife International. The current Chair of IRAC is Billy Annan from FMC. The Vice-Chair and leader of the Outreach WG is Samuel Martinelli from Bayer Crop Science.

The following countries have active IRAC teams:

• The Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, and US
• Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Asia Regional
• Europe: Italy, Spain, Turkey and Europe Regional
• Africa, Middle-East: South Africa and Africa Middle-East Regional
• Australasia: Australia (run by CropLife Australia)

We aim to have the website and apps working problem and error free but always appreciate feedback if you spot any issues. This can be reported for both the apps and the website using the Contact Link.

Login details are only available to IRAC members. If you are a member you can request login details from the IRAC Coordinator or via the contact link on the website footer. A temporary system password will be sent to the user who can login and reset the password to something more memorable. Passwords should not be shared with other IRAC members or with colleagues. If you need to reset your password this can be done using the “Lost your password?” link under the login text field which will take you through the reset procedure. If you have any difficulty with this please use the Contact Link for help.

The IRAC website is a data-heavy site with hundreds of files available and inevitably it can be difficult occasionally to track a particular file. There is a navigation bar at the top of the website page and a Latest Resources and Search option. You can use the “?” link on the top navigation bar which will give access to a set of tutorial videos to guide you through the different areas of website and Apps. The following summary may also help you locate files:

• International: Introduction, News & Events, Administration (Teams), Working Groups, Partners, Sponsors and Brand Material.
• Region: Links to the various Country & Regional pages.
• Pests: A library of information on different pests divided up by Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Sucking Pests, Vectors and Others.
• Crops: A library of information on different crops with links to the associated pests in the Pest library.
• Mode of Action: Information related to Mode of Action. Additional information is available under the MoA WG page.
• Test Methods: Information related to the IRAC Susceptibility Test Mode series including a series of videos. Additional information is available under the Methods WG page.
• Training Centre: An range of IRAC resources related to Training with examples shown and links to “see more” of each type of material.
• If you can’t find the information needed you can use the Contact Link for further help.

Test Method information can be found under the Test Methods tab. This includes the Test Methods Library, the videos and other useful information. Additional information is listed under the IRAC Methods WG page.

MoA information can be found under the Mode of Action tab. This includes the MoA Online Search Tool, links to the various language version of the MoA poster with the chemical structures, the MoA Brochure. and the MoA Training Slide Deck. Additional information is listed under the MoA WG page.

The procedure and information needed is described in detail in the document “Procedure for allocation of new insecticidal materials to the MoA Classification Scheme“.

The form “Classify a New Insecticide” should be completed as explained and sent using the “Submit An Active” button at the bottom of the form.

Generally IRAC material can be used for communication and education purposes as long as IRAC is credited as the source with links to the IRAC website. While we encourage the use of IRAC material, it should not be adapted or altered in any way, used to promote advertise or market specific products or infer approval of a company or product by IRAC. If you have any specific questions please use the Contact link.

The images used come from a variety of sources, some of which are reproduced under the Creative Commons (CC) Licence and others are proprietary images from the IRAC member companies with permission for their use by IRAC only. As such, IRAC is not able to offer permissions to third parties for any images used in their communications and educational material.

Links to the IRAC Disclaimer & Privacy Policy can be found on the footer to the website pages.