Desert Locust Episode in Pakistan, 2018–2021, and the Current Status of Integrated Desert Locust Management

Abstract Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), swarms during outbreaks, and plagues can invade many countries across vast regions of Africa Asia, consuming substantial quantities crops rangeland vegetation. In the most recent desert locust episode, which originated in Saudi Arabia’s remote interior June 2018, entered Pakistan March 2019, devastating important crops, such as cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.; wheat, Triticum aestivum maize, Zea mays L., >60 districts Baluchistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh provinces. A national emergency was declared on 1 February 2020. 2020 Department Plant Protection responded by conducting surveillance control operations with assistance other Pakistani organizations, multilateral bilateral international aid agencies. Surveillance were performed ground air, applying mostly oil-based ultra-low volume insecticide formulations combined some nonconventional tactics. The government also established a detailed multi-phased policy National Locust Control Center rapid response units deployed to vulnerable districts. To prevent or mitigate locust-associated agricultural damage, additional improvements approaches are needed. locust’s unique behaviors, magnitude intermittency swarming episodes, pose challenges development implementation coherent integrated pest management strategies. status possible approach management, including proactive preventive intervention strategies, is discussed.