Survey and control of the migratory locust in Indonesia : moving toward self-reliance

Indonesia has been confronted with serious infestations of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria manilensis, since 1998. There have been significant outbreaks in many provinces and especially Sumatra, Kalimantan, and East Nusa Tangara. These outbreaks are likely to become chronic and to further develop with each dry episode related to the phenomenon of El Niño. The intensification of the deforestation and the development of new crops is also expected to exacerbate the situation. In 2001, CIRAD-Prifas continued its assistance with the support of the French Embassy in Indonesia. The actions lay within the scope of the general program of migratory locust control in this country. They came in support of concrete measures implemented by Indonesian authorities to improve locust control through application of recommendations made during the preceding missions. Four training courses were organized (in South Lampung and in Sumba Island) for pest observers and field extension workers (monitoring locust populations in the field and ULV techniques). Efforts were conducted at the national level for a standardized system of locust monitoring and survey within the framework of the Pest Forecasting Center (linked to the Directorate of Crop Protection) on Jatisari (Java Island). In addition, the outline of a guideline for pest observers was elaborated and discussed largely in the field with users. To amplify its efforts in locust control, the Indonesian government recently addressed (at the beginning of 2002) a request to FAO to profit from a technical cooperation project in locust control. The purpose is to strengthen the locust management program for food security improvement in some Indonesian provinces where locusts are endemic. (Texte intégral