IPM - Biological and integrated management of desert locust

Abstract

Locusts have caused periodic disasters in the recorded history of humankind. Up to now, locust disaster is still the biggest threat to the world's agricultural production. The desert locust Schistocerca gregaria is one of the most harmful locusts, which has caused massive food crises, economic losses, and ecological disasters. The desert locust is a migratory insect pest that occurs year-round in the tropic and subtropical regions. Under the wind and seasonal alternation, it moves and flies in the African continent and West Asia. Desert locust damages the stems and leaves of more than 300 plants, including Gramineae, Tribulus terrestris, and Euphorbiaceae. Locusts cause devastating disasters to local plants, especially field crops, and significantly threaten food security. To date, voluminous research has been conducted regarding the ecology and management of desert locusts. This review represents an effort to summarize the basic information on the biology and ecology, distribution, damage, and economic impact of desert locusts, examine the recent developments in integrated locust management, and make recommendations for future research.

Keywords

• Schistocerca gregaria
• crops
• Orthoptera
• locust
• agriculture production
• ecology