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Preventative management of the Desert Locust and the ongoing invasion.

  • February 2020
Authors:
Michel Lecoq at Independant consultant in locust ecology and control
Michel Lecoq
  • Independant consultant in locust ecology and control
Preprints and early-stage research may not have been peer reviewed yet.
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Abstract

Large swarms of Desert locusts are again threatening Africa and huge areas up to India and Pakistan. These swarms seem to be unable to be contained. They recently reached Kenya, which had not faced a threat of this magnitude for 70 years. For FAO, the current situation is the most serious for 25 years. We here try to provide some answers to the legitimate questions about the current situation and this insect: - The Desert Locust and its invasions - How serious is the threat ? - What drives these insects to migrate and invade crops ? - What are the causes of these invasions ? - Could climate change be responsible for the current invasion ? - What is the recommended strategy to contain this plague ? Is the current preventative strategy effective ? - What are the constraints to applying an effective preventative strategy ? We conclude that, despite an effective and proven preventative strategy for more than 60 years, the financial and political uncertainties as well as the recurrent insecurity in many regions of the Desert Locust distribution area will undoubtedly continue to maintain the threat in the future. Countries must remain vigilant and continue - depending on their exposure to the threat - to develop and perfect measures both preventive... but also curative in case, as at present, prevention has not been sufficiently effective. ---- https://sustainability.asu.edu/global-locust-initiative/news/archive/desert-locust-upsurge-an-update-from-dr-michel-lecoq-gli-network-member-and-desert-locust-expert/ ---- https://mlecoq34.wixsite.com/michellecoq/single-post/2020/02/04/Preventative-management-of-the-Desert-Locust-and-the-ongoing-invasion
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 !"

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$%#%%&%'
()%*$
    $  #'  $ 
$   +     #  #
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,   -   %' ! % 
 "       %  
#.$%%
/ %$ -#
  ' % '
'%$

#$%0&'()**+),
 a threat to ag  ,   
-./,0"12
1    3 1 3 
/"
$'          3 
1/31  
"-1'
1"#
     $      1 
  3 4 " #   5    
3/1
1"
  1   / 1  /  3
 '   "    &1 16 
3/"
1/   1 / /  " 7' 
1898"
#  3       3   
8      : 3  1:/ 
";1/<=='"
)>??1-@1
"
1/3//"#
11
  /  3    / 
   " #  $     
3&)A'B6
"/
/A+0-1
&<> 'B61/"#
$/1C"
3     2 /  3' 
D&$<== -1$-<=)=6"

The economic, social and environmental consequences of  Desert Locust invasions are
 that this insect is often treated as a  by many countries.
#$3
",
"#E/3
3"/3
@1
"
#$E&31/
69 3      /  "  
 1 3  5     
/3" F1/ /        /3
   "      @ 
4333/'"
1
/"/' 
//
"/3E"
$   31   /'    
/3%"
&/6
 4 3/      
"
#     @ /  .   <== <==+ ' 
/2 <A 4 A"+  / ) 
  1      1 <"+ 3
 == %
"


 
This insect, whether in the form of hopper bands, swarms of adults flying during the day, or
solitarious individuals flying at night, has a high migratory capacity.
*%%$1*%1
83
"#3//1
1/"
/33
  /  " 7  3 
$//"
#   " #    3  1 
   5  / 1    1
  % /3 " #  '  3  
&6&36"#
 3 
1"
3/1E3/
1/"'/
/3"/$"-
13'/"#3/
1/"

Abundant and persistent rains spread over a large area are very favorable to produce upsurges
of 
#3
3//"
.31
 //       $" 1 /3
   / 1  / / 
33"G
/13
%"F15
  %  3    / 1" #  
3   3'          
//3'"
!
   " 
      #$      

#  /    /"  1    /3
    "   3 <=)?  
1/11"
1E"
         H3 <=)?  
3-"#/
IH @3  - 0   
3;-3"#/3$3
/3/&J<=)?
<=)>61 / " # 
"
#///3
 $"-//
 1 3   3' ' 3 "  
       3'   1
333/"
 /1 $%3/
/1/"

% 
&'%()
*
# % 3     //    
$ 1 %   )>=" #      
  %  3'  1  / 
13"#/
3/33/%1
"
#//3
H"  //  1     1 
  /    /  
  //    % 
"
-/3/
13'" //
/ / &6'1
/$ 3'9 &6  '    /  
   /9 &6 /
/%1'1
%"
   /  H  $   &$6
3  )>+  3    4   
/$"#H
$-/&$-6
      E  "   H
    /    32
.,0-1"
- '" #
5  '       
/"
.       // 5
 $ /   E   %  
"
&6/
//'
 /    '   / 1
  4  / 5  3  
//4"#
/  4/ 3  81  
"
#+
%))
)
#/3)>A="
1A=3//1
 3 
3"
 /        1
   /      3  
/$/A="#/
  3 3/     1  4
/4/"
H/A=$&6/
 3@/  / 1 /  @   /
"   '   / /   
    E        
/"
,
-
.,
.-
/,
/-
0,
0-
1,
1-
-,
.2., .,/, .20, .21, .2-, .23, .24, .25, .22, /,,, /,., /,/,
,3    1 )>)=<=)> &-2 H$-6" 2
'9292"
#//3/2
&)6 #        "   3 
/53'"-/
1'4/"
&<6   3         
/3 /    '     
/%
% 5 /"   /    
          
  1  /   /  1
32
  /  0#0H-#  3 
/3"
K   H-  -H#KL# / D
%/"
,1    -H- 3    / 
"
-<==)/3$
"M/
  //1    1 /3  "
# '  3  3     3 
%"
     <=   H 00-   
           
 /     4/" F1/  
3"
+
#   * 6)    7  6
)

0/  / /   //   
  ' /    '    
::%"
H/  A=  / /   1 
  /   1 /  ' 
4/"
     1  @    1 
/3')>?*)>??<==<== "H531
 32 1' /     ' 
'11/
1/3"
354/
'"
#/1/3//
5/C3'/
4//3"#
% 3' 5   I 1 3 '   
/"
M///3
/   3    //  
3"&
  /    6   "
3/&1
//6"M
 /  4/         
     3" M    E 
/3G/
 /   " #   /    3
3/3$"#1
  %   3 3/  %  
"
!
+3,
)7) 
        ) 

.1/3
          /
//   1 5   
"'3/"
#5324/'
5        35:
%  : /  " 7 
%     " #   
'1 3/3 /   
        3  3 /" ./ 
   /  1      
  4/ /1  
"
&
$ " <==+"   2    " 2
3") 2)*>:?A
-1L$--J"<=)="//
"2%"+A2> >:+*
N$"$"$'"F"<=)>"$
"3$4%A &)62)+: "
2OO"O)=")) AO/=))))?))<+==
%
"H"7,"<=<="$12"7<=<=3
<" "
2OO111""OOOOOOE"
!8#(9:
2OO111""OOOOOOOE"
;:
2533O
1"
<2O
/"
21'3/
1O
3"
(*2'3
5"
(*21%3'/
//"
2/331
"
21/
31"
211
3"
=>2
331
33'"
&211/31"
?21'3/
33'"
":2OO3""O3
/O1O/O
1'3EO
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