The double threat to China’s cotton industry: warmer weather and the hungry mirid bug (South China Morning Post)

The South China Morning Post summarized research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that investigated the high temperatures of early-summer months in China. The higher temperatures, largely due to climate change, helped boost the population of the mirid bug, a major pest to the cotton plant. “One of the policy implications is that weather is an important driver of the system, and the projected climate warming could heighten pest outbreak risks,” said research fellow Wei Zhang, who was interviewed. “Weather is gaining its momentum as an important threat to cotton production. Policymakers need to consider the impact of climate change on pest management.”