Scientists Turn To Tech To Prevent Second Wave of Locusts in East Africa (theguardian.com) 37
Scientists monitoring the movements of the worst locust outbreak in Kenya in 70 years are hopeful that a new tracking program they will be able to prevent a second surge of the crop-ravaging insects. From a report: The UN has described the locust outbreak in the Horn of Africa, and the widespread breeding of the insects in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia that has followed, as "extremely alarming." The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that an imminent second hatch of the insects could threaten the food security of 25 million people across the region as it enters the cropping season. Kenneth Mwangi, a satellite information scientist, based at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development climate prediction and applications centre, based in Nairobi, said researchers were running a supercomputer model to predict breeding areas that may have been missed by ground monitoring. These areas could become sources of new swarms if not sprayed.
"The model will be able to tell us the areas in which hoppers are emerging," said Mwangi. "We will also get ground information. These areas can become a source of an upsurge, or a new generation of hoppers. It becomes very difficult and expensive to control, which is why we are looking to prevent an upsurge. The focus will be on stopping hoppers becoming adults, as that leads to another cycle of infestation. We want to avoid that. We want to advise governments early, before an upsurge happens." So far, the supercomputer, funded by $45 million of UK aid as part of its Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa programme, has successfully forecast the movement of locusts using data such as wind speed and direction, temperature, and humidity. The model has achieved 90% accuracy in forecasting the future locations of the swarms, Mwangi said.
"The model will be able to tell us the areas in which hoppers are emerging," said Mwangi. "We will also get ground information. These areas can become a source of an upsurge, or a new generation of hoppers. It becomes very difficult and expensive to control, which is why we are looking to prevent an upsurge. The focus will be on stopping hoppers becoming adults, as that leads to another cycle of infestation. We want to avoid that. We want to advise governments early, before an upsurge happens." So far, the supercomputer, funded by $45 million of UK aid as part of its Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa programme, has successfully forecast the movement of locusts using data such as wind speed and direction, temperature, and humidity. The model has achieved 90% accuracy in forecasting the future locations of the swarms, Mwangi said.
Wondering what keeps them confined to Africa (Score:3, Interesting)
But somehow they stay in Africa, not migrating crossing the tropics, nor breaking out across the Arabian desert into the Tigris Euphrates valley in Iraq. Wondering what keeps them there.
If they ever establish a strong presence in India, China, Iran ... it would make Coronovirus a childs play.
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Without researching it, it kinda looks like the deserts are keep them penned in: they're staying where there's something for them to eat.
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Scientists Turn To Tech
This is an interesting twist to what scientists normally do with their time.
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Another part of it may be that those other areas have some kind of predator that doesn't have any problem eating stray locust that somehow do manage to make it across ...
It's the European Swallow, which is generally superior to the African Swallow.
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Aside from it's load bearing capacity, of course.
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You would need truckloads of eggs, and the right weather. They have very specific needs for swarming.
Re:Wondering what keeps them confined to Africa (Score:4, Informative)
Locusts are just grasshoppers in swarming phase. In fact, "locust" is just Latin for "grasshopper." Locusts occur anywhere there are grasshoppers and the right conditions. Huge locust swarms have occurred, and continue to occur, all over the world. They definitely are not unique to Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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I believe it's happened in utah, it's where they claim to have gotten seagulls.
I'm sure there are others, but being more modern we are better at dealing with it.
Sure, let's add locusts (Score:1)
Not to worry, they're all just glitches in the Matrix.
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For anybody ticking the boxes:
So four more to go, or have I missed something?
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Financial network systems, first time canceling ability to "buy and sell" is possible
Television and internet, first time "every eye will see Him" is literally possible
"Wormwood", destructive "star" falling, gets more likely every day with the number of satellites being deployed
Restoration of and militarized opposition to Israel
I'll probably think of a few more.
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I'll wait on several others, to see how things proceed. *coughutahcough*
Drone strikes (Score:2)
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Lasers.
We have lasers that can freaking track leeches in fish and kill the leech without harming the fish.
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Lasers... locusts... let's stream live videos of the event on Lazercusts.com, anyone?
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Nuke them from orbit--it's the only way to be sure. :P
OMFG (Score:1)
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All that's left is another flood, but I don't see that happening.
Oh wait, all the ice is melting...
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If the Ross Ice Shelf suddenly collapses, much of the world will be under flood waters - at least temporarily.
Problem solves itself (Score:3)
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People do, they dry them and mill them into a flour. Unfortunately the swarm probably isn't going to end at your property, it's going to eat everything and keep moving. The dead ones are generally pretty spread out, even when they're in your field.
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70 years from now they'll be surprised again. (Score:2)
Every 6 years the 2 and 3 year locusts arrive together.
Every 10 years the 2 and 5 year locusts arrive together.
Every 15 years the 5 and 3 year locusts arrive together.
Every 14 years the 2 and 7 year locusts arrive together.
Every 30 years the 2, 3 and 5 year locusts arrive together.
Every 22 years the 2 and 11 year locusts arrive together.
Etc... If they recorded the occurrence of species and p
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And every 2,310 years, they all happen at once. Fun times.
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Locusts have life cycles in prime numbers of years to minimise how often they compete with other locusts
You are thinking of cicadas. Periodic cicadas are 13 and 17 year cycles. Locusts have life cycles measured in months which is why swarms grow so fast.
why not eradicate at the source? (Score:2)
Is there some reason, if these models are predicting where the next outbreak will occur, something can't be injected into the soil to kill the larva? Obviously you can't kill every single one of the critters, but let's say you get 80%. That's a significant reduction in the numbers which will take to the fields and strip plants bare.
sounds like Biblical end times (Score:1)
We checked off locusts and plague, so famine in 3...2...1...
Locust swarms are actually declining (Score:4, Informative)
"Locust plagues have become less frequent in recent decades. Number of countries reporting swarms, 1926-2019" - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/res... [bbc.co.uk]
Not that it's not a problem, at least to those affected, but oddly enough, it's sustainable, biologically speaking. Locusts are part of the process. Like any complex mechanism, changing one thing usually leads to more than intended consequences. Complex systems tend to exhibit complex behaviors. If our systems are so near breaking point that we justify a need to over manage nature, we'll probably do far more harm than good in cases like this. If there is a solution, it's likely that it's not a chemical or large scale biological intervention. Indeed, people have co-existed with locusts for longer than recorded history. It's an issue sure, but with the proper social supports, not one that can't be managed without disturbing the equilibrium of the environment.
imho
Re: Locust swarms are actually declining (Score:1)
If by co- existing you mean âoedying in famines caused by locusts,â then, yes, humans have been co-existing with locusts for thousands of years.
Natural =! Good or desirable.
Heart attacks are also completely natural.