News — A thorough understanding of insect physiology and ecology can influence sustainable farming practices throughout Africa in the future. This idea formed the basis of the recent inaugural lecture delivered by , an entomologist in the at the University of Pretoria (UP).
Titled “Using Insect Behaviour and Temperature Responses for Precision Pest Management and African Food Security”, Prof Weldon’s impactful address focused on how better knowledge about the biology of tiny pests could solve some of Africa's most significant agricultural challenges.
“Africa’s population is surging toward 3.8 billion by the century’s end, and the demand for nutritious food will increase too,” he said. “But this doesn’t have to come at the expense of ecosystems. If we can manage insect pests with greater precision, we can simultaneously protect food systems, biodiversity and livelihoods.”
The primary focus of his research is on developing better, more sustainable pest management approaches, taking into account insect behaviour, temperature sensitivity, water requirements and nutrition. Using this information, Prof Weldon and his research team create biologically-based control plans, surveillance systems and forecasting models to reduce the harm that pest species like thrips, fruit flies and citrus psyllids cause. Consider the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), one of the world’s most widely distributed and damaging agricultural pests. According to Prof Weldon, these insects rot fruit from the inside out using their gut microbiota, making it unmarketable before it leaves the farm. They spread quickly; under the right conditions, they can produce up to 12 generations in a year, he explained.
“We must comprehend the biology of pests to effectively control them,” Prof Weldon said. “To effectively control pests, we need to understand their biology in detail – everything from their mating behaviours and thermal tolerance to how they respond to lures and environmental cues.”
Temperature is critical. It has an impact on every aspect of insect life, including metabolism, reproduction and flight activity. According to his team’s research, insect populations exhibit varying behaviours based on their local environments, necessitating customised solutions. To reduce pesticide use and its adverse effects on the environment, Prof Weldon's laboratory can now identify pest hotspots and vulnerable periods through machine-learning and spatial mapping.
His academic accomplishments outside the lab are equally remarkable: he’s had more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles published and has an H-index of 24. Prof Weldon has also supervised 18 master’s students (six with distinction) and seven PhD candidates, mentoring them in his core areas of expertise and across diverse research interests. He attributes much of his success to his collaborators, students and the farming communities that allow him access to their land for research trials.
The lecture concluded with reflections on future goals, including advancing the sterile insect technique and exploring how climate change could affect pest physiology and food production systems.
“We’re just scratching the surface,” Prof Weldon said. “But if we keep asking the right questions – and listening to the insects – we might find smarter, more sustainable answers.”
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