A major study has been published estimating the impact of pests and diseases on five major food crops around the world. An international team, including scientists from France’s INRA (National Institute of Agricultural Research) and other institutions around the world, supported by the International Society for Plant Pathology (ISPP), spent more than a year compiling statistics on wheat, rice, maize, soy and potato. Their results have been published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
The INRA website reports: “A questionnaire was distributed to more than 2,500 members of ISPP and many other players. The researchers were therefore able to collect and analyse close to 1,000 responses from 219 plant health experts on five major crops (wheat, rice, maize, soy and potato) in 67 countries. These 67 countries account for a large portion (87%) of the global production of these crops.
“The study reported on losses associated with 137 pathogens and pests worldwide. Overall, estimates of losses mount to 10.1-28.1% for wheat; 24.6-40.9% for rice; 19.5-41.1% for maize; 8.1-21.0% for potato; and 11.0-32.4% for soy. The study also provided estimates for 137 pests that plague crops around the world and in major food crop production and consumption regions: Northwest Europe; Mid-West US and southern Canada; South Brazil and North Argentina; Indo-Gangetic Plains in South Asia; plains of China; Southeast Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The results allowed scientists to measure the impact of plant health on global food security, and provided crucial data on the impact of emerging pathogens and pests. The findings may be used to define or reinforce research priorities when it comes to managing crop health, and ultimately improving the sustainability of agroecosystems.”
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