acaricidal-resistance
Acaricidal resistance is the reduced sensitivity of mite pests to chemical acaricides, arising through natural selection when resistant individuals survive treatment and pass on protective traits to their offspring. This phenomenon matters greatly for plant science because mites are major agricultural pests that damage crops by feeding on plant tissues and transmitting pathogens, and resistance undermines the effectiveness of chemical control strategies used to protect plant health and yield. Understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms behind acaricidal resistance helps researchers develop sustainable pest management approaches and breed more resilient plant varieties.
open_in_new WikipediaEurope PMC · 2026-06-19
A systematic review of 20 African studies found that medicinal plant extracts can kill cattle ticks resistant to chemical pesticides, with 40% of tested plants showing high effectiveness. The tick species targeted, Rhipicephalus microplus, has spread resistance to synthetic treatments globally, making plant-based alternatives increasingly urgent.
40% of the 20 qualifying studies reported high tick mortality from plant extracts; 35% reported moderate efficacy; 25% reported low efficacy.
Plants from 26 families were tested; Asteraceae (daisy family, n=7) and Lamiaceae (mint family, n=7) were most studied, followed by Fabaceae (legume family, n=5).
Only 20 studies out of 2,046 retrieved met inclusion criteria, revealing a major gap in African research on plant-based tick control.