Researchers debate locust management this week

Clouds of migratory locusts from Asia, Africa and South America in the plant health scenario have put governments and scientists on alert. The recurrence of the problem in South American countries has sparked debates on how to deal with the problem and experts point out the need for strategies to control these insects. In view of this, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Center for Agricultural Bioscience (CABI-Plantwise) will carry out the first webinar of the International Year of Plant Health 2020 (AISV 2020) addressing the theme Innovations and strategies in locust management.

This digital event (from a series that should take place on account of AISV 2020) will take place on the day 27/8, Starting at 14h (Brasília time), on the Map on YouTube. The researcher Marcos Faria from Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (Brasília, DF) is one of the speakers at webinar, which will also include the participation of the researcher Belinda Luke, from CABI/United Kingdom, and mediation by Juliana Alexandre Ribeiro, agricultural tax auditor at Mapa.  

According to the researcher Marcelo Lopes, from Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, technical coordinator of the digital meeting, the organizers' expectation is that this and the digital events will play an important role: raising awareness in society regarding issues related to AISV 2020, including what it deals with strategies to combat locusts. 

It is necessary to protect the health of plants 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) declared 2020 as the United Nations International Year for Plant Health (AISV) with the first objective to increase the awareness of people on all continents about how to protect plant health, such as help eradicate hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment and boost economic development. Due to Covid-19, the activities scheduled to take place this year will be extended to 2021. 

The key objectives of the 2020 AISV

Innovations and strategies in locust management No. on 27/8, Starting at 14h (Brasília time), just access the channel Map on Youtube.