Locust swarms are an ongoing issue plaguing growers in African countries and management solutions are needed more than ever before. The issue is so dire in many places that preventive measures can no longer be implemented. Two possible solutions exist within the implementation of genetically modified crops or the use of biological control and/or mycoinsecticides. However, issues do exist with implementing these types strategies. First, genetically modified crops are not always readily available in these countries and current strains of genetically modified crops are not directly developed to manage Orthopteran pests like locusts or grasshoppers. Research with genetically modified crops is ongoing and existing strains are being assessed for locust management. Second, mycoinsecticides are a viable option, however, climatic conditions may reduce or alter the efficacy of these products. While mycoinsecticides perform well in lab studies, field conditions are not always conducive to maintaining the same efficacy. Classical biological control is certainly an option to consider, but this process would take several more years to implement when a solution to this issue is already past due. This debate will address which solution may be more viable to alleviate the issues faced from locust swarms in Africa, either genetically modified crops or biological control.
