Earth warms, insects eat more plants

A new study published in Science (USA) on August 30 warns that the warming of the Earth will cause insects to reproduce more and become more hungry.

Meanwhile, more insects will attack crops in North America and Europe.

Specifically, when the global average temperature increases by 1 degree Celsius, the proportion of damaged wheat, corn and rice will range from 10% -25%. These three major crops account for 42% of the human calories consumed each day, so any scarcity threatens food security and increases the risk of conflict, especially in poor areas.

A French farmer is harvesting wheat in the Vauvillers region in late July (Photo: REUTERS).

In order to arrive at that worrying conclusion, scientists at Washington University, Vermont, Colorado (all in the US) studied changes in temperature caused by metabolic processes and growth rates. of 38 insect species in different regions. Mr. Curtis Deutsch, who led the study, said that rising temperatures promote the rate of metabolism and reproduction in insects, from which more insects appear and eat more.

Notably, Europe will see insects cause up to 16 million tons of wheat damage per year. Particularly, losses in 11 European countries increased by at least 75% compared to today. In the United States, corn production damaged by insects may increase by 40%, equivalent to 20 tons / year. China's rice production could be 27 million tons / year.

Markus Riegler, an expert at the University of Western Sydney (Australia), said the problem could be more serious than the forecast of the study. According to NBC News (USA), Mr. Riegler said that predictions based on growth and metabolism do not include damage caused by pathogenic insects. In the short term, the research team advised farmers to change farming methods to cope with the risk when the Earth gets warmer.