Locust plague 2020: Life history, A successful story and future food

 Life cycle of desert locust (Schistocerca 

gregaria)

Life cycle of locust has 3 main life stage- egg, nymph or hopper

(5 nymphal instars) and adult. It takes about 8 weeks to complete the

life cycle. 

Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)

However, the duration of locust life cycle is variable and

depends on the various climatic conditions and

type of species of locusts as well. As African locusts can have 3 -5 generations per year.

How locust is different from grasshopper?

Actually, both are same.

Green grasshopper is generally solitary feeder while the brown

Locusts (short horned grasshopper) are both solitary and gregarious.

REASON- Increase in serotonin concentration in the grasshopper and

 favourable climatic changes turn them into

gregarious (feeding in group) and devastating locusts, that can

damage acres of crop in just few minutes and hours.

Do they harm humans?

No, they don’t bite humans.

 But, in aggressive mood they can nibble on skin without tearing and 

piercing it. After all they don’t harm humans.

What locust can eat?

Polyphagous feeder

Locust being gregarious and polyphagous can feed on all types of crops 

like maize, rice, sorghum, bajra, etc (small leaf, broad leaf), trees,  green bushes and even grasses.

History of locust

Locust plagues active since the prehistoric times.

They are mentioned in the holy books like the Mahabharata,

 the bible, the Quran. They are also carved on tombs in ancient Egypt.

First locust swarms were reported in 1997 near Pakistan boarder.

Why in 2020?

Experts and researchers say that the main reason for the recent

locust attack is probably the global climate change. As they

require specific climatic conditions to change their feeding behaviour and habitat.

Locust outbreak “2020”

India faced a locust attack in the last month and the swarms reached Jaipur for the first time.

States under locust threat

Swarms of locusts travelled through several areas of Rajasthan,

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh amid their worst invasion in recent years.

The swarms entered Rajasthan in April from Pakistan then

spread to areas across the western states, helped by strong winds.

Locust swarms were seen descending in the Pench Tiger

Reserve in Maharashtra sending a stern warning to the central watchdog for another potential attack weeks after the

grasshopper outbreak took over Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Centre’s Locust Warning Organization said it'll press into service

 of 25 drones and buy 60 more vehicle-mounted insecticide

spraying machines to counter the attack of locust swarms within the near future.

Authorities are worried that voluminous locusts may enter India again

 along side monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea to destroy kharif crops.

 “The locust swarms may attack in the late June and early of

July. 

There is every possibility that locust swarms will come towards 

India from African countries in conjunction with

monsoon winds rising from the Arabian Sea ,” said K L Gurjar,

Deputy Director of the Faridabad-based Locust Warning Organisation (LWO).

The summer and rainy weather is reportedly more favourable

for the locusts to reproduce and multiply in number and they

move from one place to another during this time, travelling nearly 150 km in one day.

The swarms entered Rajasthan in April from Pakistan, where it

had migrated from Iran last year. The migratory pests then

started spreading to areas across the western states, slowly

 entering the Vidharba region on eastern Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, with strong winds.

While the country is already struggling to urge back on its feet

amid the corona virus lockdown, a locust infestation could

cause further devastation to the agricultural economy.

Ongoing Efforts by farmers and government

It will be used for spraying insecticides. Apart from this, the

organization will get 60 more vehicle-mounted sprayers by last of this month.

Around 800 tractor-mounted sprayers were already being

employed, and now the district collectors are authorized to

require into service more such vehicles as per the need in coming time.

He said there's no dearth of resources to counter attack locust

swarms. The government has already given about Rs 6.5 crore to the districts.

The government has decided to get 100 fire fighting vehicles

from the Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), which may even be used for locust control.

Locust Controlling organizations

•               The Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa

(DLCO-EA) is a regional pest and 

vector management organization established by an International

Convention signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1962.

•               LWO- LOCUST WARNING ORGANIZATION (Jodhpur)

 The present Locust warning organization established in the month of

October 1946, is an important division of DPPQS under the Department

 of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India headed by the Plant Protection Adviser.

•                 DPPQS-  DIRECTORATE OF PLANT PROTECTION, QUARANTINE AND STORAGE (Faridabad)

What can be done to tackle locust attack

 at farmer level?

Physical control

Beating drums and making weary sounds in field help farmers to move away the locust swarm.

Cultural control

Digging pits and making locusts to fall in them and burying thereafter.

Chemical control

Spraying chemical like Chlorpyriphos 20%EC @ 2.5 ml/ liter of water

Chlorpyriphos 50%EC @ 1.0 ml/ liter of water

Deltamethrin 2.8% EC @ 1.0 ml/ liter of water

Locust as food and delicacy?

Did you know that locusts are a very good source of proteins?

Yes!! They are.

According to a book named “Insect” by Steve parker, about 50-60 % of dry weight of insect is protein.

Fresh weight of protein content is 13-28 g per 100 g of adult locust.

These are considered delicacy in many African, middle eastern

and Asian countries. They can be cooked, fried, dried and even smoke.

Successful stories

Pakistan battles locust by turning locusts into poultry feed.

 As we all know that swarming locusts are threatening the food supply   of the country. So, they have taken these locusts as an

opportunity to exploit them as poultry protein rich food by processing locusts.

 The man behind this project is Muhammad Khurshid from

pakistan’s food ministry and a biotechnologist Johar Ali.

Locals are collecting and selling it @ Rs. 20 per kg.

 According to UN’s Food and agriculture organization, 

Pakistan could suffer a loss of about $5 Billion if 25% of its crop is damaged.

Conclusion

Some other countries are also working in their own way to tackle the locust swarm attack.

 But, Pakistan’s strategy to combat the problem is quite

impressive and learning, as it is eco-friendly and economical as well.

Any anthropogenic disturbance in the nature is the root cause

of imbalance in natural biodiversity, flora fauna, habitat and

behavioural aspects of any living being right from micro to

mega species.

  

 Thanks for devoting your precious time to read the article !