INCIDENCE OF LOCUST IN PUNJAB AND ADJOINING STATES SINCE INDEPENDENCE

摘要

Desert Locust is the most important pest species in India as well as intercontinental context. It has three breeding seasons: (i) Winter breeding (November to December), (ii) Spring breeding (January to June) and (iii) Summer breeding (July to October). Recently during 2019-20, this species of locust attacked parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and lately in Punjab.Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers with highly migratory habit and voracious feeding behaviour. They are capable of forming swarms (adult’s congregation) and hopper bands (nymphal congregation). They cause great devastation to natural and cultivated vegetation. They are indeed the sleeping giants that can flare up any time to inflict heavy damage to the crops.