Effects of climate change on crop diseases and insect pests

Global climate change is systematically exacerbating the damage caused by crop pests and diseases through increased temperatures, altered precipitation regimes, and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, posing severe challenges to national food security. This paper reviews the current status and characteristics of crop pest and disease occurrences in China, along with the mechanistic influences of climate change on their dynamics. It reveals the core processes, including accelerated pest development and northward expansion due to rising temperatures, bidirectional regulation of pests and diseases by altered precipitation patterns, and the indirect impact of elevated CO2 concentrations on pest and disease dynamics by changing the physiology of host plants. Furthermore, interactions among multiple factors (such as combined heat and humidity) are shown to amplify risks substantially. While a preliminary integrated framework has been established—encompassing stress-resistant crop breeding, development of green pesticides, smart monitoring and early warning systems, and adaptive agronomic practices—significant knowledge gaps remain. These include insufficient understanding of molecular response mechanisms, limited quantification of dynamic processes, and fragmented modeling of regional disaster patterns. Moving forward, it is imperative to advance research on the multi-dimensional coupling mechanisms within the “climate-crop-pest” system, integrate multi-modal data and artificial intelligence technologies, and develop a proactive, data-driven prevention and control system for enhanced resilience.