Predicting climate change impact on pests and diseases of grain legumes in semi-arid tropics

The pests and diseases are serious constraints to increasing production, productivity, and utilization of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) mandate crops (sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut) in the Semi-Arid Tropical (SAT) countries. At the same time, climate change is likely to exacerbate problems with emerging and re-emerging pests, either directly by shifting the climate envelope and thus the range of their niches, or indirectly by stressing plants. To design an appropriate response to such invasive and emerging species, the decision makers need to be able to rapidly, transparently and consistently assess the extent of the outbreak and its economic impact. In this interdisciplinary project we will combine the bioeconomic and epidemiological modelling expertise in Strathclyde with biological, climate change and agricultural economics expertise at ICRISAT. The aim of the project will be to construct and test a decision support tool for predicting climate impact on key pests of grain legumes (chickpea and pigeonpea) in the SAT countries. Building on existing links between Strathclyde and ICRISAT, we will expand the collaboration network, organise a workshop involving scientists, farmers and agricultural advisors, produce a scientific paper summarising the results of the project, and a draft grant application.

Scottish Funding Council Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Escalator Fund (£62,490)