Locust Meeting 1-4 July, 2008, Rabat, Morocco.

Email inquiries and telephone calls for information:

Mr. Mekki Chouibani
Head of the Technical and Phytosanitary Control Division
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
Email:   mchouibani@gmail.com
Phone:  +212 61 30 91 04 (Cell)

Mr. Chouibana is the main liaison person for the Locust Meeting 1-4 July 2008, Rabat, Morocco.

LOCUST RABAT
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR LOCUST CONTROL
(A Frank F. Richards Symposium topic)
The Golden Tulip Farah Hotel
Rabat, Morocco
1-3 July 2008
Click here for draft program



Updated (04/09/08): Low cost air fair companies
http://www.jet4you.com
http://www.atlas-blue.com
http://fr.bestfares.amadeus.ne

Open Letter to Entomological Society of America and Royal Entomological Society (London).

01/03/08
Download here

Tom's comment on microbes are driving the locust swarms to migrate

06/08/09
One of the most interesting things that has turned up so far is the proposition that microbes are driving the locust swarms to migrate as a way of spreading themselves; and that the purpose of migration has little to do with welfare of the locust. This could reshape thinking about solutions.

Symbionts, especially microbes, can have profound effects on the biology of insects. Wolbachia bacteria, for example, provide an interesting way of moving symbionts through populations. Some of the Global Challenge mosquito people are beginning to think in these terms. When you think about it, the locust problem is a lot like the malaria dilemma. Both occur in poor counties, both are dispersed, both entail field operational difficulties of the type you mentioned, both involve vast numbers of insects.

The odd difference is the mosquito spreads a microbe (pathogen) and a microbe may be responsible for spreading the locust.

Tom miller


The Amazing Desert Locust 2001, BBSRC, UK.

http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/life/crowd/index.html

BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR CONTROL OF MIGRATORY LOCUST

Strategic Plan

As described in the Old Testament, migratory locust populations from parts of North Africa periodically swarm and devastate crops in the region even many miles from the origin of the swarm. Despite much effort and investment, in modern times the only control methods available are insecticide or biopesticidal agents applied by air on developing swarms.

In response to recent inquiries from Morocco we propose writing a review article on the question, "Can biotechnology provide new tools to control migratory locusts?"

We also suggest that this purely research planning exercise be accompanied by a parallel effort at developing guidelines for the evaluation and approval of tools of biotechnology. Guidelines are already drafted in the "Daegu Protocol" document posted on the website: http://biopesticide.ucr.edu/daegu/daegu.html.

A committee is being formed to develop the Daegu Protocol idea and new members are posted at the website given above as they agree to join. A second committee is being recruited to write the review article describing possible applications of biotechnology to locust control and will also be posted at http://biopesticide.ucr.edu/locust.html

Both of these projects will be addressed at the "Regulatory Issues" session at the International Congress of Insect Biotechnology and Industry planned for Daegu, Korea 19-24 August 2007, www.icibi2007.com.

Updated documents:
03/21/07 Locust Control Draft (doc)
03/21/07 Locust Control References (doc)

03/21/07 Locust Committee List (pdf)
03/28/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Dr.Mohamed and changed address of Dr.Lecoq)
04/09/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Dr. Said Ghaout
04/11/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Dr. Stephen J. Simpson
04/19/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Gregory Sword
06/08/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Keith Cressman (his comment on Desert Locust)
06/25/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Sevilor KEKEUNOU
09/21/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Thami Benhalima
10/01/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): dropped Mark Goettel
10/05/07 Locust Committee List (pdf): added George Kyei-Poku
02/27/08 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Jozef Vanden Broeck
03/12/08 Locust Committee List (pdf): added Long Zhang ****Updated****


Information on these projects can be obtained from:

Thomas.miller@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-2278
Fax: (951) 827-3086

Entomology Department
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521