Cold can make it difficult for locusts to move

The cloud of locusts moving across Argentine territory may find the intense cold predicted for the region an obstacle to remaining on the move. In addition to wind, temperature is an important factor in insect dispersion.

Weather forecasts indicate little rain and intense cold in Rio Grande do Sul over the next 72 hours. In Argentina temperatures have already started to drop. "In the Province of Santa Fé it is already quite cold. With these conditions it may be that the cloud is not moving and remains at some point", estimates Inta researcher, Daniela Vitti. 

Official information on the location of the locust cloud, of the species Schistocerca cancellata or South American grasshopper, report that the plague continues in the center south of the Province of Corrientes, in Argentina. 

In Brazil, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) even reported that the pest was moving towards Uruguay. Both Mapa and the Secretariat of Agriculture of Rio Grande do Sul monitor the problem and seek to guide producers in the region. “We are attentive to the entire movement and discussing actions to prepare the State in case the locust cloud advances. The risk exists and we cannot ignore it” assesses Secretary Covatti Filho. 

Seapdr meteorologist, Flávio Varone, analyzed the climate conditions of the current period to assess the risks of these insects reaching Rio Grande do Sul. "The approach of a cold front from the south will intensify the north and northwest winds, increasing the displacement of the mass to the Western Border, Missions and Middle and Upper Uruguay River Valley. However, the trend of falling temperatures and rain forecast for the entire State this Thursday tends to mitigate the risk of spreading the plague", he said.

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