Preprint Article Version 2 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Regional Differences in Control Operations During the 2019-2021 Desert Locust Upsurge

Version 1 : Received: 5 November 2021 / Approved: 9 November 2021 / Online: 9 November 2021 (14:58:23 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 3 December 2021 / Approved: 6 December 2021 / Online: 6 December 2021 (15:29:48 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Retkute, R.; Hinton, R.G.K.; Cressman, K.; Gilligan, C.A. Regional Differences in Control Operations during the 2019–2021 Desert Locust Upsurge. Agronomy 2021, 11, 2529. Retkute, R.; Hinton, R.G.K.; Cressman, K.; Gilligan, C.A. Regional Differences in Control Operations during the 2019–2021 Desert Locust Upsurge. Agronomy 2021, 11, 2529.

Abstract

The desert locust remains a major threat to global food security. Control operations are a crucial tool to manage crisis; this research investigated the nature of control operations conducted between 2019-2021. Historical data on desert locust and control operations were obtained from the survey reports at the FAO Locust Hub and analysed with respect to survey reports, land cover types, cropland/rangeland extent and crop productivity data. We found that 16.1% of the grid cells with locust presence and 14.9% of the grid cells with control operations had a proportion of rangeland higher than 0.75; while 13.3% of the grid cells with locust presence and 13.2% of the grid cells with control operations had a proportion of croplands higher than 0.75, highlighting that locust presence and control operations were reported in both rangeland and cropland. Control operations continue to be used both to reduce overall locust numbers and to protect crops. Furthermore, through identifying which crops were most at risk, our analyses indicate that wheat production was under the highest strain during periods of increased locust infestations.

Keywords

desert locusts; control; crop loss; pastureland; land cover

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

Comments (1)

Comment 1
Received: 6 December 2021
Commenter: Renata Retkute
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author
Comment: Manuscript has been revised according to the reviewer comments.
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