Farmers sound the alarm over rapid spread of insect that evolves to eat more crops: 'Further spread ... to other European countries is to be expected'
Farmers in Germany are raising the alarm about a tiny insect, known as the reed leafhopper, that has evolved to feed on and destroy critical crops like sugar beet and potatoes.
Once a harmless resident of wetland reeds, this adaptable pest is now rapidly expanding its range and appetite, with troubling implications for food security and farming across the continent.
The reed leafhopper ("Pentastiridius leporinus") is now known to spread a bacterial plant disease called syndrome "basses richesses" (SBR). Different leafhopper variants have also been found in nations like Argentina.
The disease significantly reduces crop yields and sugar content, making affected harvests far less valuable. Over 100,000 hectares of farmland in Germany were infested in 2023 alone.
Originally found in reed beds and considered harmless, the insect has since adapted to new host plants, including tomatoes, celery, and beetroot.
Entomologist Dr. Michael Rostás of the University of Göttingen confirmed the insect's spread and evolution, warning, "Further spread of the leafhopper and the diseases it transmits to other European countries is to be expected."
The reed leafhopper's expansion is a growing threat to European agriculture. Because it weakens crops from the inside out, it's hard to detect until the damage is done. As it adapts to more host plants and benefits from warmer conditions, experts believe rising temperatures may be helping it thrive.
Farmers face a unique challenge: this new pest is evolving faster than they can keep up with. It can now even survive the winter by living in the roots of cereal crops like wheat, making traditional crop rotation methods less effective.
If left unchecked, it could threaten the stability of food supply chains across Europe.
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Germany has issued emergency authorizations for pesticide use in crops to slow the insect's spread. But experts say this is only a stopgap measure.
The German Farmers' Association is calling for long-term solutions, including changes to European Union regulations that would allow for new genomic breeding techniques like CRISPR. These methods could help develop crop varieties resistant to the disease the insect carries.
Until those tools are approved, farmers will need to rely on careful crop management, timely planting decisions, and community-level monitoring.
When it comes to protecting our food supply from fast-moving threats, innovation and cooperation remain our best lines of defense.
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