LOCUST SPECIES HARMFUL TO AGRICULTURE AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION INDICATORS

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 20 LOCUST SPECIES HARMFUL TO AGRICULTURE AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION INDICATORS N.E. Utapov Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Ecology and Forestry, Tashkent Branch of the Samarkand State University of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Husbandry and Biotechnology https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17389117 Abstract. This article examines the locust species currently damaging pastures and their distribution rates, the damage they cause to agricultural crops, the development of a set of effective, environmentally friendly control methods and means, the timing of chemical control measures, the bioecological characteristics of other locust species common in the region, and more. Keywords: pastures, locusts, larval development, chemical control measures, product, biological effectiveness. Introduction. It is widely recognized that the Action Strategy of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the Further Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017–2021 identifies the priority tasks as "...the development and implementation of measures to protect plants from diseases and pests." Therefore, to prevent the spread of harmful locusts and their serious threat to pasture plants and crops, it is necessary to determine the distribution of the main harmful locust species found in our country, study their bioecological characteristics, and develop and implement a set of effective, environmentally friendly control methods and means. Implementation of the objectives set forth in the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated September 21, 2016, No. ORH-409 "On Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan 'On the Protection and Use of Flora'," the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated July 9, 2018, No. ORH-484 "On Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan 'On Plant Quarantine'," and other regulatory acts is one of the most pressing tasks today. The Action Strategy of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the Further Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017–2021 defines priority objectives for "...the development and implementation of measures to protect plants from diseases and pests." Therefore, to prevent the spread of harmful locusts and avert their serious threat to pasture plants and agricultural crops, it is necessary to determine the distribution patterns of the main harmful locust species found in our country, as well as to develop and implement a set of effective, environmentally friendly control methods and tools based on the study of their bioecological characteristics. Implementation of the objectives set forth in the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated September 21, 2016, No. ORQ-409 "On Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan 'On the Protection and Use of Plant Life'," the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated July 9, 2018, No. ORQ-484 "On Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan 'On Plant Quarantine'," and other regulatory documents is one of the most pressing challenges today. Research method. It is fundamentally important to ensure the effectiveness of these methods and products when implementing Moroccan locust control measures using minimal SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 21 spraying equipment, it was necessary to consider the bioecological characteristics of other locust species common in the area. Developmental stages and their duration, as well as the timing of larval emergence from cocoons, directly impact the effectiveness of the method used. The results obtained during the experiments demonstrated the need to adjust the timing of chemical interventions based on the development of not only the Moroccan locust but also the horse, desert, and Turan locusts. Research results. It was found that the types of locusts and their density that occur together with the Moroccan locust in the pastures of the Kashkadarya region were determined, taking into account the timing of chemical control measures, the development of not only the Moroccan locust, but also the horse, desert, and Turan locusts. Table 1. Types of locusts and their density that occur together with the Moroccan locust in the pastures of the Kashkadarya region Grasshopper species Landscape Foothill plains Mountainous areas, hills, hills and valleys Dericorys albidula Serv. + D. tibialis (Pall) + + Conophuma uvarovi uvarovi Sem. + Anacridium aegyptium (L) + + Calliptamus turanicus Tarb. + ++ C. italicus (L) ++ C. barbarus cephalotes F-W. + ++ Sphodromerus luteipes Vv. + Pyrgomorpha conica deserti. B. + + Atrichotmes semenovi (Zub). + + Egnatius apicalis Staf. + + Truxafis eximia Eichw. + + Duroniella kaltuta + + Ramburiella turcomana (F-W) + ++ Dociostaurus marоccanus (Thunb) +++ +++ D. tartarus Vv. ++ + D. plotnikovi Vv. + + D. kraussi nigrogeniculates. ++ ++ Notostauru salbicornis alpicornis (Ev) ++ + Chorthippus biguttulus meridionalis + + Oadaleus senegalensis (Krauss) + + O. decorus (Germ) + ++ Pyrgodera armata F.W. + + Oedipoda miniata (Pall) + + O. miniata + ++ Note: + + + very high (based on density and degree of infestation); + + - average; + - very low. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 22 It is necessary to highlight the fact that varying hatching times, larval development time, and resistance or sensitivity to the chemicals used determine the choice of chemical consumption and application methods. Therefore, special attention was paid to the above-mentioned biological parameters of locusts in the experiments. It is known that after hatching, the area occupied by locusts during the first and second years of life expands significantly. As locusts mature, their range also expands. The range of the Moroccan locust expands significantly from hatching until wing formation. It is worth underscoring that due to the untimely implementation of chemical control measures when favorable weather conditions occur, this insect species can cause serious damage not only to weeds and pasture plants, but also to agricultural crops. In this regard, we conducted research in the Dehkanabad district to collect data on the timing of larval development and abundance of other locust species found in the same habitat as the Moroccan Locust. The results are presented in Table 2. Table 2. Distribution of harmful locust species and their larvae by age and abundance in foothill pastures Kashkadarya Region, Dehkanabad District, 2006-2012 Types Average number, pcs. Including larvae by age Place occupied among species, % I II III IV V Moroccan locust 320 - - 70 265 48 82,4 Horseshoe crab 31 - - - 16 25 7,9 Desert locust 16 - - - 4 12 4,1 Turan locust 15 - 7 9 - - 3,8 Lalmi locust 6 2 4 - - - 1,5 Organic synthetic pesticides are primarily used against harmful insects and mites. They belong to different classes of chemical compounds. Although each class shares common physicochemical properties, their mechanisms of action are largely similar. Therefore, they can be classified into groups based on the chemical and pest. Organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) (danadim, malathion, phosalone, pirinex, polytrin, diazinon, sumithion, orten). Organophosphorus compounds are among the most important modern pesticides. Of course, their widespread use is due to certain reasons. For example, substances that can quickly affect pests, such as insecticides and acaricides, have a short shelf life in high doses in the biological environment and, upon decomposition, form non-toxic products. These substances are weakly effective, while some products act internally, making it advisable to spray them in small volumes. Many organophosphorus compounds also have disadvantages. They are potent poisons for warmblooded animals and humans, as well as for most beneficial insects. Chronic use can quickly lead to pest population resistance to these compounds. Organophosphorus compounds are toxic to insects because they inhibit enzyme activity. As soon as the poison enters the insect's body, symptoms of poisoning appear immediately, and the insect quickly becomes paralyzed and dies. Most organophosphorus preparations are toxic upon application, and the pest dies within the first few hours after treatment. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 23 It has become increasingly clear that organophosphorus preparations kill most larvae and adult insects but have a negative effect on eggs. However, some preparations prepared in oil solutions and penetrating insect and mite eggs do not fall into this category. Sulfur acaricides. In their pure form, this is calcium polysulfide (CaSO4), which has low toxicity. In practice, simple inorganic sulfur compounds (sulfur powder, colloidal and hydrated liquid) and products of hexasulfur-lime decoction are used. In addition to their use against spider mites, these products serve as effective fungicides for the control of powdery mildew caused by powdery mildew fungi. The active acaricidal and fungicidal action of sulfur-based products is due to the release of simple sulfur vapor at very high temperatures, which is absorbed through the skin. Sulfur, being a hydrolysis acceptor, disrupts the normal course of hydrolysis and dehydrolysis reactions. This produces hydrogen sulfide, which causes the death of the organism. Conclusion. It can be clearly observed that the obtained results indicate that the Moroccan locust larvae constitute the majority of the total larval population (82.4%). Furthermore, according to the experimental results, in the third ten-day period of April, the majority of Moroccan locust larvae were in the fourth instar, horsefly and desert locust larvae were also adults, and grasshopper larvae were in the first and second instars during this period. This showed that the hatching period of harmful locust species in the study areas is asynchronous, which may affect the biological effectiveness of the product used. Therefore, the correct selection of products used in locust control is essential. REFERENCES 1. 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