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Red Locust Population Monitoring and Control in Malawi, 1988–1998

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Harriet P. Thindwa
Harriet P. Thindwa
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Lunyangwa Research Station, P.O. Box 59, Mzuzu, Malawi
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Abstract

The red locust, Nomadacris septemfasciata (Serville) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), is a threat to agricultural productivity in Malawi. The country has a single known red locust outbreak area, the Lake Chilwa flood plains in southern Malawi, in addition to several other areas where the locust occasionally breeds. Activities of the red locust in Malawi during the period 1988 to 1998 are discussed. Four major outbreaks occurred during the period—in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Control of these outbreaks was conducted by air except for the 1995 outbreak in Mpatsanjoka River Valley which was controlled by spot treatment on the ground. The use of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft, where the helicopter locates locust swarms and their concentrations and guides the spray aircraft, appears to be the most efficient and effective strategy for controlling locust outbreaks in Malawi.

Résumé

Le criquet rouge, Nomadacris septemfasciata (Serville) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), constitue une constrainte à la production agricole au malawi. En plus d'autres sites où le criquet se reproduit de temps à autre, il existe un seul principal foyer identifié de reproduction du criquet rouge englobant les plaines inondées du Lac Chilwa, au sud du malawi. Les activités du criquet rouge pour les années 1988 à 1998 sont discutées dans cet article. Quatre explosions de populations du criquet ont été enregistrées au cours des années 1993,1995,1996 et 1997. Ces explosions de populations ont été contrôlées par des traitements aériens sauf pour celle de 1995 qui a eu lieu dans la vallée de la Rivière Mpatsanjoka où les traitements ponctuels et ciblés ont été effectués au sol. La combinaison de l'emploi simultané de l'hélicoptère et de l'avion semble être une meilleure stratégie efficace de lutte contre les essaims du criquet au malawi. En effet, l'hélicoptère est employé pour de dépistage d'essaims et l'estimation de leur envergure, et il sert de guide pour l'avion qui effectue les traitements.

Keywords

criquet rougeNomadacris septemfasciatamalawifoyer de reproduction grégarigènesuivilutteLocusta migratoria migratorioidesfenitrothionessaimsred locustNomadacris septemfasciataMalawioutbreak areamonitoringcontrolLocusta migratoria migratorioidesfenitrothionswarms
Type
Research and Review Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 1999 , pp. 351 - 354
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1999

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References

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