Application of modern technologies revolutionizes desert locust monitoring and control

26/02/2024

The desert locust problem

Desert locusts are highly destructive transboundary crop pests that periodically wreak havoc in farming communities in the semiarid areas of northern and western Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Southwest Asia. At times they extend their range to southern and eastern Africa and beyond. In their migratory phase they can form highly mobile swarms made up of several hundred million individuals, which aided by the wind can advance up to 150 km in a day, consuming all plants in their path. In plague years, these locusts can strip areas of almost all vegetation. Desert locusts are among the most serious threats to food security in areas that are already vulnerable because of their marginality, and which are increasingly subject to the negative consequences of climate change.

Controlling this serious pest has always been challenging because it is difficult to predict where and when it will pose a problem. Much of the success in combatting desert locusts, using conventional chemical control and biopesticides, rests on early warning systems, which in turn relies entirely on the field data collected by surveillance teams of the commissions’ member countries.

FAO carries out its desert locust work through three specialized commissions – CLCPRO - Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region, CRC – Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region and SWAC – Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in Southwest Asia. FAO’s desert locust commissions ensure continuous surveillance and early warning based on FAO’s Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS), which monitors ecological and climatic conditions and makes the latest information available on its Locust Watch Website.

Modern technologies support locust monitoring and control

Modern technology has much to offer for effective desert locust monitoring and control. This includes surveillance drones and their accompanying infrastructure technology, such as the system for data collection in the field and RAMSES (Reconnaissance And Management System of the Environment of Schistocerca), which is a custom software application comprising a database and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that stores the georeferenced results of survey and control operations. These data are then visualized by GIS on maps to describe a current situation and predict a desert locust situation in the near future. The field data are integrated into the SWARMS global information system at FAO Headquarters.

FAO's three regional desert locust commissions (CLCPRO, CRC, SWAC) agreed to dedicate some of their annual budgets to support, maintain and upgrade the latest version of RAMSES.

Fakaba Diakité, former Director of the National Desert Locust Control Center of Mali, points out that “One of CLCPRO's strategic axes is research, for which funds have been made available for the development of new technologies.” New technologies will continue to be key to improving desert locust monitoring and control. Another commentator said that “digital solutions made it possible for the CLCPRO to be at least a few more steps ahead of the desert locust.”

eLocust3m is a smartphone and tablet app in which national locust officers and other trained users can enter and transmit comprehensive field data on any prevailing desert locust situation. These data feed directly into national locust geographic information systems and can be used rapidly to address any impending problem.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology development for desert locust monitoring and control began in 2015 and in 2022 the first non-training drone was deployed in the field. Work to improving the use of drones for surveillance and making the drones available for control has already been initiated in the western region. Mohamed El Hacen Jaavar, General Director of the National Locust Control Center in Mauritania recalls, “In recent years CLCPRO has taken the strategic step of integrating aerial surveillance technology using UAVs.”

According to Mohamed Lemine Hamouny, FAO CLCPRO’s Executive Secretary, “This drone technology has not only significantly increased the productivity of survey teams and improved the quality of data returned from the field but has also helped reduce field survey costs, particularly in terms of personnel and vehicle deployment, giving the National Locust Control Unit greater flexibility and resilience”. The latest developments include using drones to apply pesticides to combat desert locusts.

Khaled Abd Rabbo, Director of Agricultural Aviation at the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt says that “The surveillance drone system has shown extraordinary results to date, and we look forward to the second part of the project, for the development of spray drone systems.” Fahad Al Shemrani, Head of Technologies, Waqaa Center, Jeddah (Saudia Arabia) adds that “Among the most important aspects of locust control are monitoring and surveying locust biotopes, especially during breeding periods. That's why we have been working on integrating new technologies, in particular survey drones, and we're continuing to train as many personnel as possible in the use of these time-saving technologies for critical operations.”

The use of surveillance drones, apps and associated software requires considerable technical capacity to be used effectively. Collaboration among the three FAO commissions and cooperating organizations within the member countries ensures that responsible bodies and individuals are kept fully up to date in all aspects of modern desert locust monitoring and control. The training takes place in-person and virtually via e-learning to make sure that cost-effective and sustainable solutions to the desert locust issue are realized.

The future of desert locust monitoring and control

Desert locust monitoring and control is continuously improving as technologies advance, but the problem these insects represent is far from over. They have represented a major obstacle to sustainable farming in the semiarid areas from Southwest Asia to North Africa for millennia and the effects of climate change and social unrest are making the problem ever more acute. However, FAO and its partners are tirelessly pursuing strategies to combat the problem and these strategies are increasingly taking advantage of advances in scientific understanding and application of modern, innovative technologies. As said by Mohamed Lemine Hamouny, “Change is not always the best experience for people, however, the astonishing results of the introduction of innovative technologies have demonstrably accelerated efficiency of monitoring and control of desert locusts.”

Related links

Website: Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO)

Website: Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC)

Website: Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in Southwest Asia (SWAC)

Website: Locust Watch

Locust Watch Website: Digital tools

Other FAO Stories on Desert Locust