Scientific review of the impact of climate change on plant pests: a global challenge to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems.

Climate change represents an unprecedented challenge to the world?s biosphere and to the global community. It also represents a unique challenge for plant health. Human activities and increased market globalization, coupled with rising temperatures, has led to a situation that is favourable to pest movement and establishment. This scientific review assesses the potential effects of climate change on plant pests and consequently on plant health. The evidence assessed strongly indicates that climate change has already expanded some pests? host range and geographical distribution, and may further increase the risk of pest introduction to new areas. This calls for international cooperation and development of harmonized plant protection strategies to help countries successfully adapt their pest risk management measures to climate change.bitstream/item/224381/1/Scientific-review-of-the-impact-of-climate-2021.pd

Climate change and pathways used by pests as challenges to plant health in agriculture and forestry.

Climate change already challenges people?s livelihood globally and it also affects plant health. Rising temperatures facilitate the introduction and establishment of unwanted organisms, including arthropods, pathogens, and weeds (hereafter collectively called pests). For example, a single, unusually warm winter under temperate climatic conditions may be sufficient to assist the establishment of invasive plant pests, which otherwise would not be able to establish. In addition, the increased market globalization and related transport of recent years, coupled with increased temperatures, has led to favorable conditions for pest movement, invasion, and establishment worldwide. Most published studies indicate that, in general, pest risk will increase in agricultural ecosystems under climate-change scenarios, especially in today?s cooler arctic, boreal, temperate, and subtropical regions. This is also mostly true for forestry. Some pests have already expanded their host range or distribution, at least in part due to changes in climate. Examples of these pests, selected according to their relevance in different geographical areas, are summarized here. The main pathways used by them, directly and/or indirectly, are also discussed. Understanding these path-ways can support decisions about mitigation and adaptation measures. The review concludes that preventive mitigation and adaptation measures, including biosecurity, are key to reducing the projected increases in pest risk in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Therefore, the sustainable management of pests is urgently needed. It requires holistic solutions, including effective phytosanitary regulations, globally coordinated diagnostic and surveillance systems, pest risk modeling and analysis, and preparedness for pro-active management

Egg laying and egg laying behavior of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) 1790 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Red Palm Weevil is a key pest of palm trees worldwide. Various studies have been conducted on life history and behavior of RPW, however some key points in egg laying period is still missing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the egg-laying timing as a number of egg /day /female, time interval between egg laying event and the female bio-etiological needs while ovipositing. The study was carried out through recording the behavior of adults with PC-driven video cameras equipped with natural bright and artificial IR light source. RPW was collected and allowed to lay eggs on Phoenix canariensis petiole. The number of eggs per day is variable according to time and female age; the average number of eggs per event is 4.13. Moreover egg laying timing and the time of deposition are quite variable while eggs can be laid anytime during the day and night. The average egg-laying time was 54.52 sec. The observations showed that the females need to fly, feed and mate before egg laying process

Key factors in Red Palm Weevil biology (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) (Curculionoidea).

A tentative life-table study of the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) is presented in order to emphasize the control key factors in the pest biology, behaviour and ecology. Important characteristics of the relationship between R. ferrugineus and the infested plants are its short duration and the weevil association with fermentation microorganisms. These characteristics contribute to the fast host plant death. One of the serious consequences of this unbalanced coexistence is that natural enemies have neither time nor a suitable niche to control the pest. The weevil reproductive r/selection strategy is based on its high reproduction rate and accordingly, on the large scale spreading-related adult mortality. A further population control factor could be represented by cannibalism or food competition with young larvae. However, this hypothesis is difficult to demonstrate. One more important feature in R. ferrugineus success is its chemical communication model based on palm wound and tissue fermentation chemical cues. At present, the attractiveness of newly infested/damaged plants is a well-known issue in palm pest management. Further characteristics in R. ferrugineus fitness are its polyandrous mating and egg laying strategies that make the weevil a pest even at a very low population level. Planting host palm species in orchards with a density higher than the natural one made RPW shift from endemic to epidemic and therefore, become a destructive palm pest

Summary for policymakers of the scientific review of the impact of climate change on plant pests: a global challenge to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems.

Climate change represents an unprecedented challenge to the world?s biosphere and to the global community. It also represents a unique challenge for plant health. Human activities and increased market globalization, coupled with rising temperatures, has led to a situation that is favourable to pest movement and establishment. This summary for policy makers drawn from the FAO scientific review on the impact of climate change on plant pests, and by extension, on plant health provides concrete recommendations for decision makers on how to address the impact of climate change on plant health. The evidence assessed strongly indicates that climate change has already expanded some pests? host range and geographical distribution, and may further increase the risk of pest introduction to new areas. Increased international cooperation and development of harmonized plant protection strategies are crucial to help countries successfully adapt their pest risk management measures to climate change.bitstream/item/224382/1/Summary-for-policymakers-of-the-2021.pd