Maize pests impacted by the climate
Friday, July 29, 2016 - 06:31
in Biology & Nature
In East Africa, the caterpillars of two butterflies, Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus , represent a major threat for maize, the main food crop in the region. As recently borne out by the work of IRD researchers and their partners in Kenya, their distribution varies with altitude. Busseola fusca prefers mountain sides, whereas Chilo partellus predominate at low altitude; a new study has revealed this phenomenon. Temperatures play a role in several ways, leading to the conclusion that the populations of these two types of pest will grow in the coming years.