Amid Indonesia\u2019s efforts to strengthen national food security,\nthreats to agricultural production are not only coming from land\nlimitations, drought, or commodity price fluctuations. A growing menace\nis emerging from climate change, which is making pest organisms more\naggressive and harder to control.<\/p>\n
Since it was first reported attacking maize crops in Indonesia in\n2019, the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has become clear\nevidence of new challenges for the agricultural sector. This invasive\npest, originally from the Americas, has spread rapidly and caused\nserious damage in major maize production centres. However, the problems\nfaced by farmers today are far more complex than the mere emergence of a\nsingle new pest species.<\/p>\n
Climate change is altering the relationship between plants, insects,\nand the environment. Rising global temperatures, shifting rainfall\npatterns, and the increased frequency of extreme weather events are\ncreating conditions that increasingly favour many pest species. As a\nresult, modern agriculture is confronting a dual challenge: maintaining\ncrop productivity while adapting to rapidly changing ecological\ndynamics.<\/p>\n
When temperatures rise, pests become more voracious. Insects are\ncold-blooded organisms whose biological activity is heavily influenced\nby ambient temperature. As temperatures increase, their metabolism\naccelerates. They become more active, consume more food, develop faster,\nand produce larger numbers of offspring. This phenomenon explains why\npest outbreaks often follow periods of warming and why climate change is\nexpanding the geographical range of many pests. Some species can even\nproduce additional generations within a single year under warmer\nconditions. Research indicates that a one-degree Celsius rise in average\ntemperature can significantly increase crop losses for major staples\nlike maize, rice, and wheat, which are primary energy sources for\nbillions of people. Climate change thus threatens agriculture not only\nthrough drought and floods but also by enhancing the ability of pests to\nexploit cultivated plants, turning once manageable organisms into more\naggressive and unpredictable threats.<\/p>\n
The common response to pest population explosions has been to\nincrease the use of chemical pesticides. For decades, this was seen as\nthe quickest and most practical solution. However, experience across\nmany countries shows that over-reliance on chemicals creates new\nproblems. Intensive use of synthetic insecticides exerts high selection\npressure on pest populations, allowing tolerant individuals to survive\nand breed, leading to increasing resistance and declining pesticide\neffectiveness. Furthermore, chemical pesticides often kill beneficial\ninsects such as predators, parasitoids, and pollinators. The reduction\nof these natural enemies can cause pest populations to rebound even more\nvigorously, a phenomenon known as pest resurgence.<\/p>\n
These conditions demonstrate that a strategy focused on total pest\neradication is unwise. From an ecological perspective, the goal of pest\ncontrol is not to eliminate all insects but to maintain their\npopulations below the economic injury level.<\/p>\n
The philosophy of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), long introduced\nby experts, is becoming increasingly relevant in the era of climate\nchange. IPM advocates for managing pest populations sustainably by using\na combination of complementary control methods. It teaches that the\npresence of pests in certain numbers is part of the ecosystem\u2019s balance;\nthe objective is to prevent population explosions that cause economic\nloss to farmers. This approach positions natural enemies\u2014predators,\nparasitoids, and biological control microorganisms\u2014as allies in\nnaturally maintaining pest population stability. In sustainable\nagriculture, success is measured not by the number of insects killed but\nby the ecosystem\u2019s ability to maintain its equilibrium.<\/p>\n
One biological agent gaining significant attention is the\nentomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Its mode of action differs\nfundamentally from chemical pesticides. The fungal spores attach to the\ninsect\u2019s body surface, germinate, and penetrate the cuticle. Once inside\nthe host, the fungus develops and produces compounds that disrupt the\ninsect\u2019s physiological functions, ultimately causing death. The primary\nadvantages of Beauveria bassiana are its relative selectivity and\nenvironmental friendliness. Its use leaves no harmful residues and poses\na much lower risk to non-target organisms.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/climate-change-turns-pests-into-a-major-threat-to-food-security-1782204828", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }