The movement of locust swarms in South Africa can now be tracked and monitored in real time, thanks to AgriSA’s new digital locust-monitoring platform.

By Fredalette Uys

Farmers across the country will be able to use the AgriSA platform, in collaboration with officials responsible for locust control and local response teams, to track and monitor swarms.

“This tool transforms how we manage locust outbreaks, from reactive to proactive,” says Janine Byleveld, project spokesperson for AgriSA. “By empowering those on the ground with real-time information, we can mobilise resources faster and reduce crop losses.”

The platform will allow users to:

Provide GPS coordinates and photos of swarms;
Track the distribution and movement of locusts;
Enable provincial and national teams to prioritise high-risk areas; and
Support the allocation of equipment, resources and personnel.

Since August, AgriSA has been working with the Directorate for Climate Change and Disaster Management’s Migratory Pests Division (Southern Region), as well as the Department of Agriculture, to strengthen coordination and operational readiness.

AgriSA has already held coordination meetings at provincial level to ensure that all stakeholders are prepared. The aim is to collaborate and support existing control efforts. AgriSA therefore welcomes any further support and participation that can strengthen the management of locust outbreaks, Byleveld says.

She adds that the platform may in future be expanded to monitor other pests and assist in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease.

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New Outbreaks

Swarms of desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria flaviventris) in the hopper (walker or pedestrian) stage have recently been reported on farms near Pofadder, Marydale and Postmasburg in the Northern Cape.

According to Byleveld, the seasonal nature of locust infestations means that control depends on temporary personnel. “In addition, the sparse population, uninhabited farms and vast breeding areas – covering about 250 000 km² – mean that locusts often hatch and reach adult stages without being detected.”

She explains that locusts undergo five developmental stages over about 56 days before reaching adulthood and reproducing. A single female can lay about 10 batches of eggs over 22 days. The hoppers moult five times before becoming adults, and it is during this stage that control measures are most effective and cost-efficient.

Locusts move relatively slowly during the hopper stage, so only limited pesticide is needed for control. It is also during this stage that their natural predators play an important role in reducing populations.

Members of the farming community and the public can report locust swarms via WhatsApp on +27 79 467 0702. Users will be guided step by step to record the location and details of swarms.