Innovation in pest management: can the past inform the future?

Abstract

Innovation arises from exploring unknown areas of knowledge. In most instances, progress occurs incrementally, slowly expanding the boundary of what is known. Occasionally, though, transformative discoveries reveal new areas of research that ‘we didn't know that we didn't know.’ With respect to agriculture, the Green Revolution was achieved by cumulative innovation rather than a single breakthrough, though some giant steps were made along the way. Advances in engineering (mechanization), genetics (breeding) and chemistry (fertilizers and pesticides) that enable modern agriculture were built slowly. Looking ahead, artificial intelligence is expected to accelerate agricultural discovery by integrating vast datasets from mechanization, genetics, and chemistry. Autonomous machinery, robotics, drones, and hyperspectral sensing may enable precision pest management with reduced labor and environmental impact. Gene‐editing technologies such as CRISPR could rapidly develop climate‐ and pest‐resilient crops, while emerging non‐chemical approaches, including RNA interference (RNAi) and peptide‐based agents, as well as lasers and electric tools, may provide more targeted crop protection. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.