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What is the place of biological control in acridid integrated pest management?

Abstract Control of grasshoppers and locusts has traditionally relied on synthetic insecticides, and for emergency situations, this is unlikely to change. Most locust control operations in Africa are conducted in ‘crisis mode’, and are affected by military situations which leave little room for flexibility. Nevertheless, there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact of acridid control options and the demand for a biological product is strong. A decade of research on the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum has led to some very positive field results. Trials in Niger and Australia have shown that the fungus can be formulated and applied under standard operating conditions, and that control is effective and long-lasting. Most importantly, the products are highly selective, safe to use and we have not been able to detect any side-effects. This means that the natural enemy fauna is preserved and may contribute to control. Metarhizium is nonetheless slow-acting compared with chemical pesticides, and its place in an Integrated Pest Management framework needs to be considered with this property in mind. We can see an emerging IPM framework, based on good detection and prediction, chemical pesticides for swarm control and real emergencies, and Metarhizium for outbreaks with no immediate risk of crop damage. With Metarhizium established as part of the IPM portfolio, there will be scope to explore further biocontrol options, such as the microsporidian Nosema locustae and the hymenopteran egg parasitoids Scelio spp.