National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program
| National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Project acronym: | CAREER |
| Status: | Completed |
| Project leads: | |
| Funding source: | National Science Foundation NSF |
| Project start: | 2020 |
| Project end: | 2025 |
| Keywords: | Immune function, Migration, Reproduction |
Interdisciplinary lab and field research on locust migration, immune function, and reproduction.
Description
The CAREER project focuses on how nutrition, population density, and historical habitat variability interact to affect migration, immune function, and reproduction of locusts. It integrates lab and field research to form an interdisciplinary approach to advance our understanding of why and how animals migrate and increase our ability to predict migratory responses to global change.
Associated publications
| Title | Year published | Projects | DOI |
|---|---|---|---|
| High carbohydrate consumption increases lipid storage and promotes migratory flight in locusts | 2023 | National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program | View |
Associated resources
No results found in the database at this time—please reach out if you have any to share!
Objective 1
Identify opportunities to help farmers reduce locust outbreaks through lab and fieldwork that determines culturally appropriate land-use practices that will suppress locust populations.
Biological research
Research in Australia led to a better understanding of locust interactions on a landscape level. Results showed Australian Plague Locusts avoid significantly woody vegetation, and clumpy distribution of optimal food sources influences where locusts eat and if gregarization will occur. The team also found these locusts maintain a consistent self-selected protein to carbohydrate ratio regardless of local conditions. Further investigation could help improve forecasting and modeling of locust swarms.
The team in Senegal is answering questions like, “Do carb-biased landscapes result in higher numbers of Senegalese Grasshoppers?” by conducting research in five villages and working collaboratively with women’s groups and farmers. They are also investigating nutritional regulation and performance of the Senegalese Grasshopper by measuring its nutritional preference and regulation across two generations using artificial diets and plant choice experiments.
In South America, the goal of reducing risks and impacts of locust outbreaks led the team to progress field and laboratory research on the South American Locust. They identified plant species in outbreak areas of Argentina and conducted experiments on locust dietary preference and performance on local vegetation.
In the United States, ASU students are creating a bridge between the distinct worlds of insect nutritional ecology and livestock agriculture. They plan to compare methods for testing forage quality, review current literature, and conduct lab experiments with locusts on fertilized crops also relevant to livestock.
Objective 2
Collaborate with stakeholder groups from three global regions to compare and contrast governance structures and identify pathways for sustainable locust management.
Government workshops
In February 2020, the first workshop in Tucumán, Argentina, brought together 38 participants from 5 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the USA. The participants included individuals working in national and provincial locust control agencies, as well as researchers, farmers, and representatives of farming associations and ministries. During the workshop, the team crafted a participatory approach to explore governance and network components related to locust management.
Participants learned institutional analysis techniques and conceptual model-building, with ample time for extensive small-group discussion. Supplementary components highlighted the latest locust modeling and forecasting tools, as well as opportunities for creating the best infrastructure to respond to locust emergencies and sustain locust expertise during non-outbreak years.
The other three participative workshops had to be postponed and rescheduled online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective 3
Build international capacity for sustainable locust management by connecting global stakeholders across regions, sectors, and disciplines. Institutionalize locust research and response knowledge and techniques to foster collaboration and enhance global capabilities in addressing locust-related challenges.
Global Locust Initiative Network
The Global Locust Network is growing and the team is working to keep the website up to date with all the ongoing locust outbreaks and create a virtual community to connect global stakeholders to share ideas and resources.
Associated publications
| Title | Year published | Projects | DOI |
|---|---|---|---|
| High carbohydrate consumption increases lipid storage and promotes migratory flight in locusts | 2023 | National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program | View |
Associated resources
No results found in the database at this time—please reach out if you have any to share!