CLIMATE CHANGE AND
CHALLENGES TO FOOD
PRODUCTION
EMERGING PEST AND DISEASE
IN FOOD CROPS AND
PRODUCTIVITY
MAMMUTTY K
Deputy Director of Agriculture ,
NWDPRA Wayanad
Effects of Changing Climate on Insects
Insect outbreaks
Insect migration
Change in biodiversity
Species extinction
Change in host shift
Emergence of new pests
Since temperature is the most
important environmental factor
affecting insect population dynamics,
It is expected that global climate warming could
trigger an expansion of their geographic range,
increased overwintering survival, increased
number of generations, increased risk of invasive
insect species and insect-transmitted plant
diseases, as well as changes in their interaction
with host plants and natural enemies.
Insects in Living Organisms
Insects in the Animal Kingdom
Insects are the largest group (3/4th) of animal kingdom
About 6-10 million insect species exist in the world
but only 1.25 million species have been described
About 11% species of total organisms including
insects are expected to be extinct by 2100
Insects in the Animal Kingdom
Categorization of Insects
Food Grain Loss
Agricultural Pests
Pests are the limiting factors in the production
and productivity of crops
O th e rs
6%
R a ts
8%
W eeds
D u r i n g stor age
10% 28%
In s e c ts D is e a s e s
23% 25%
Insects, weeds, nematodes and disease
pathogens damage more than 30 percent of crops
worldwide
Observed Impact of Climate Change on
Insect Pests
Insect outbreaks
Pine lappet moth and Tummy bug outbreaks in Europe
(Mellec et al., 2010; The Hindu July 25, 2012)
Seed bug outbreak in Karnataka during 2011
Outbreak of pine moths in Meghalaya, India during 2011
(Firake et al., 2012)
Insect Migration and Invasion
Several species of butterflies and moths migrating to UK
from other parts of Europe (Sparks et al. 2007)
Painted bug, Bagrada, a tropical and
subtropical crop pest, is gradually moving
northward in Southwestern Japan
(Anonymous, 2008)
Many species of dragonflies and butterflies
are migrating every year from India to the
Maldives, the Seychelles, Mozambique,
Uganda and back again (Nelson, 2009)
Recent Invasion of Papaya mealy bug in
India in 2010
Effect on biodiversity
Loss of cryptic diversity: Loss of seven species of
caddisfly, a mayfly and a stonefly from central Europe
(Gewin, 2011)
There is clear evidence for severe regional declines in
domestic honey bee stocks in the USA (59% loss of
colonies between 1947 and 2005, and In Europe (25%
loss of colonies in central Europe between 1985 and
2005
Stonefly, Arcynopteryx
compacta
Extinction of Species
Currently 1/3 of only 435 species of butterflies in Europe
are under threat...
Around the world, the Large Copper of Ireland,
Giant Swallowtail of Jamaica, Atewa of Ghana,
American Silverspot and Apollo of the Alps have
also become extinct
Large Copper Giant Swallowtail
Silverspot Atewa Alps Irish Times 2012-08-22
Emergence and Resurgence of Pests
Emergence of saw fly, Arge
xanthogaster on roses in North
east India (Firake et al., 2012)
Resurgence of coconut beetle
and coconut tiny mite in Kerala
Whorl maggot infestation in
paddy
White grubs and root aphids
infestations in upland paddy
Sopdoptera litura and S.
mauritiana on many crops
Aleurodicus destructor
(coconut whitefly)
White flies in Brinjal Spiralling White flies in
Chillies
White Fly Adults,nymphs & Puparia in
Chillies
JimEntKau 16
PAPAYA MEALY BUG
Acerophagus papayae
HISTORY / INTRODUCTION
India Tamil Nadu (2000 - 01)
Total area 1.78 m. ha 0.32 m. ha
Production 13,000 m. nuts 3,158 m. nuts
Total trees affected 138.3 m. 0.15 m.
Loss in copra yield 10 - 30
%
COCONUT ERIOPHYID MITE, Aceria guerreronis K.
(Eriophyidae: Acari)
First report - Guerrero State in Mexico in
1965.
In India first report - Ernakulam district of Kerala and
Pollachi
Distribution Andhra
Taluk inPradesh, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu in 1998.Kerala,
: Lakshadweep Islands and Tamil Nadu and all
the major coconut growing States
Triangular yellow patch
Young nuts showing damage symptoms
Gummy exudation-splits
Severely infested nuts at harvest
A colony of eriophyid mite
Minor pests to Major pests
Sucking pests
White fly
Mealy Bugs
Thrips
Mites
Jassis Hopper
Bugs
Spiralling white fly –Aleurodicus
dispersus
BOUNCING EFFECT OF BREEDING
Normal Breeding Abnormal Breeding
Sex ration (M:F)- 1:1 Sex ration (M:F)- 1:2
Avg. Litter size – 6 Avg. Litter size -20
Post partum oestrous- 90 Post partum oestrous- 2
days. days.
Maturity period- 90 d
Maturity period- 75 d
This is seen in normal un-
This is seen during
disturbed agrarian unexpected favourable
ecosystems. climatic situations.
BREEDING PROFILES
Normal Abnormal
Effects of temperature rise on agricultural insect pests
Root –knot nematode
infected banana roots
Impact of atmospheric CO2 increase
on agricultural insect pests.
Impact of heavy precipitation and drought on
agricultural insect pests.
Expected Changes in Climate
Increases in temperature
Increases in relative humidity
Increases in CO2 levels
Each have significant impact on life stages of insect
pests (Coakley et al, 1999)
Effect of Rising Temperature on Insects
Insects are cold-blooded
Development rates rise and fall with temperature
Temperature is the most important factor influencing:
Development
Reproduction rate
Survival
Distribution
Effect of Rising Temperature on Insect
Pests
Increased development rates: more generations per
season
Insect species diversity and feeding intensity tend to
increase with increasing temperatures
Insects take a bigger bite out of
plants in a warmer climate
(DeLucia et al. 2008)
Effects of Elevated Temperatures on Insect
Pests
Effect of changing Precipitation on Insect
Pests
Physical impact of heavy rainfall is a significant
mortality factor for small insects
Effect of changing Precipitation on Insect
Pests
Increased relative humidity will increase frequency and
extent of entomopathogen epidemics
Effect of Changing Precipitation on Insect
Pests
Flooding can cause mortality of soil-dwelling insects
e.g. cranberry fruitworm
Effect of Elevated CO2 on Insect pests
Generally, effects will be indirect through host plant
changes
Increased CO2 may cause chemical changes in
host
plant tissue that result in increased feeding:
Feeding stimulation of several pests by increased
simple sugars in soybean
Increased C:N ratio requires increased feeding to
fulfill metabolic N needs
Effects of Elevated CO2 on Insect Pests
Impact of Elevated CO2 on Insect Pests
Faster development time in forest tent caterpillar
(Lingroth et al. 1993)
Increased consumption and N utilization efficiency in
pine saw fly and Gypsy moth (Williams et al. 1994;
Huggez and Bazzaz, 1997)
Higher larval growth in pine saw fly (Williams et
al. 1998)
Slow development and low pupal weight in
Chrysanthemum leaf miner (Smith and Jones,
1998)
Decreased lipid concentration in small heath
Impact of Elevated CO2 on Insect Pests
Increased growth rate and consumption in Willow beetle
(Wetelle et al., 2002)
Greater pupal weight and shorter development time
in blue butterfly (Bazin et al., 2002)
Increased feeding and growth rate in tobacco
caterpillar (Srivastava et al. 2002)
Failure in proper control of grain aphids with sticky
traps
(Chen et al. 2002)
Increase in fecundity of aphids on cotton (Chen et
al. 2005)
Secondary Metabolites
Primary metabolic pathways
Primary metabolites in all organisms i.e.
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
Secondary metabolic pathways
Plants and fungi produce a variety of other chemical
compounds that are produced on secondary
pathways and are called secondary metabolites
(secondary compounds or secondary products)
Secondary Metabolites
No direct function in growth and development of the
plant
Often limited distribution among plants
A particular metabolite may be restricted to one
species or one genus
Usually synthesized from primary products
Variety of functions recognized today but originally
thought to be waste products
Secondary Metabolites
About 100,000 have been identified (Isman 2002)
So far, only 900 compounds were found to be
possessing insect feeding deterrence property (Koul
2005)
Often accumulated and stored in high
concentrations --
1% to 3% of dry weight
Hydrophilic compounds stored in vacuoles
Hydrophobic compounds stored in resin ducts, laticifers,
trichomes, oil cells, or in cuticle
Sites of synthesis and sites of storage often different -
transported in the plant
Functions of Secondary
Metabolites
Protect the plant against herbivory
Deter grazing animals
Deter insects
Inhibit bacterial or fungal pathogens
Inhibit growth of competing plants
Attract pollinators
Attract seed dispersing animals
Defense Compounds
Plants can’t run and hide, therefore they must use
chemical defenses
Vulnerable tissues defended more than old senescing
tissues
Seeds, seedlings, buds, and young tissues often have
large amounts of secondary metabolites
Organs important for survival (flowers, fruits, and
seeds)
often rich source as well
Defense Compounds
Secondary metabolites will only work as defense
compounds if they are able to influence herbivore or
microbe in a negative way
They often mimic the structure of a compound in the
animal such as a hormone or neurotransmitter
Others inhibit protein synthesis, membrane structure,
DNA or RNA synthesis etc.
Secondary Defences
Secondary defence may be in place prior to an organism
invading a plant, or as a result of the invading organism
Insect Antifeedants
“Any substance that reduces consumption by an insect”
“A peripherally-mediated behavior modifying substance
(i.e., acting directly on the chemosensilla in general
and deterrent receptors in particular) resulting in
feeding
deterrence” (Isman 1994)
Non-volatile Terpenes: Limonene
Apparently distasteful to herbivores
Volatile Terpenes: Menthol
Volatile terpenes such as menthol broadcast a smell that
warns herbivores that the plant is toxic to them before
herbivore feeding commences
Steroid Terpenes: Phytoecdysones
Phytoecdysones are plant steroids that have the same
basic structure as insect molting hormones and thus
interfere with molting
These compounds sometimes cause death of the insect
herbivore
Insecticidal Terpenes: Pyrethrum
Terpenes such as pyrethrum (from chrysanthemums) can be
used as “natural” insecticides in agricultural/horticultural
practices
Production of Maize will reduce @ 30% in
South Africa by 2030
Production of Rice, wheat will reduce @ 10%
in India
Immature harvesting of cereals
Increase in Production of Maize @ 30% in
Europe
CO2 413 PPM O2 210000 ppm
CO-3 plant like wheat –increase production
with CO2
CO-3 weeds will increase
Protein, Fe, Zn etc content will decrease in
rice
No rain at the time of planting,
Heavy rain at the time of harvesting,
Deterioration of quality of products
by over precipitation,
Pollination affected, Pollen sterility
Fungal attack due to changes in
humidity and temperature
Introduction of exotic pests,
microbes and weeds
Temperature increases @ 0.08 “C by
every decade from 1880
Temperature of 2020s is 1.2 C more
from that of 1880s
CO2 285 ppm (1880) to 413 ppm
(2021)
Thank Q
