Climate Change vis-a-vis Pest Management

Abstract

Global warming and climate change will trigger major changes in geographical distribution and population dynamics of insect pests, insect – host plant interactions, activity and abundance of natural enemies, and efficacy of crop protection technologies. Changes in geographical distribution and incidence will affect both crop production and food security. Insect pests presently confined to tropical and subtropical regions will move to temperate regions along with a shift in the areas of cultivation of their host plants, while distribution and relative abundance of some insect species vulnerable to high temperatures in the temperate regions may decrease as a result of global warming. The relative efficacy of pest control measures such as host-plant resistance, natural enemies, bio-pesticides, and synthetic chemicals is likely to change as a result of global warming and climate change. There is an urgent need to assess the efficacy of various pest management technologies under diverse environmental conditions, and develop appropriate strategies for pest management to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.