The Pesticide Referee Group of FAO and its contribution to locust control

Abstract

At the time of the major outbreak of desert locust in the late 1980s, FAO convened a meeting to discuss control operations in view of the worldwide ban on the use of dieldrin, hitherto regarded as the most important insecticide to control locusts. An outcome of the meeting was to set up an independent advisory body, the Pesticide Referee Group (PRG), to examine the scientific data obtained from laboratory and field trials submitted to FAO. The PRG was expected to make recommendations on which insecticides were effective and the dosage that should be used, either as a barrier treatment or for full-cover applications. The remit of the PRG was subsequently extended to consider environmental data and indicate the possible risk that the effective insecticides pose to various categories of nontarget fauna.The aim of the recommendations has been to give locust-affected countries a choice of suitable insecticides, to avoid the previous problems of maintaining stocks of only one insecticide, and to allow flexibility in relation to possible environmental impact. The need for ULV formulations, with specifications that include appropriate volatility and viscosity requirements, is stressed for operational reasons. Stocks of these formulations can be reformulated for use against other pests to avoid long-term storage or obsolesence. Attention has been given to new alternatives, including insect growth regulators and the biopesticide Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum. The PRG has requested feedback on operational use of insecticides, including these new products, so that the list can be refined and extended.