Investigation of Factors Influencing the Reproduction of Non-Gregarious Locust Pests in Northern Kazakhstan to Substantiate the Forecast of their Number and Planning of Protective Measures

Abstract

The article presents the results of many years of research on the phytosanitary state of agricultural land for non-gregarious locust pests. As polyphagous pests, non-gregarious locusts are one of the key destabilizing factors in the production of economically important agricultural plants in the agricultural regions of Northern Kazakhstan. Research on the long-term population dynamics of non-gregarious locust pests to determine bioecological regularities and factors influencing them for early forecasting an increase in the number and rational planning of plant protection products is very relevant. The studies were carried out in 1999-2019 based on the use of data on the distribution of non-gregarious locusts in Akmola, Pavlodar, Kostanay and North Kazakhstan regions. Numerical indicators of pest colonization and abundance indices were used as diagnostic predictors characterizing the phase state of species in a given year, which made it possible to establish patterns of population dynamics of locusts. Based on the research results, the authors concluded that the expected onset of certain phases of the dynamics of the phytophagous population was not always preserved and was subject to change under the influence of environmental factors. The trend in the dynamics of the number of studied phytophages depends to a large extent on the weather conditions of the previous and current year, as well as on the full amount of volumes and compliance with the necessary procedures. The data obtained can be proposed as criteria for predicting the phase state of populations of non-gregarious locusts in Northern Kazakhstan to justify and plan protective measures, as well as to improve phytosanitary control over non-gregarious locusts.