Which farming technique helps prevent the development of pesticide resistance?

The farming technique that helps prevent the development of pesticide resistance is crop rotation. This practice involves changing the types of crops grown in a particular area over different seasons or years. By doing so, it disrupts the life cycles of pests and the pests' ability to adapt to specific pesticides. When the same crop is planted repeatedly, the pests that are resistant to the pesticide can thrive, as they face a consistent selection pressure.

With crop rotation, different crops may attract different pest species or may not be a suitable host for the pests of the previous crop. This diversity reduces the overall pest population and diminishes the likelihood that pests will develop resistance to the pesticide used on a single type of crop. As a result, crop rotation is an effective strategy for decreasing reliance on chemical controls and maintaining effective pest management over the long term.

In contrast, continuous pesticide use can lead to increased resistance, single crop planting can exacerbate pest issues by providing a stable environment for pests to thrive, and frequent tilling does not directly address pest resistance but rather focuses on soil management.