The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), FAW, is an insect native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. FAW larvae (photo) can feed on more than 80 plant species, including maize, rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. FAW can cause significant yield losses if not well managed. It can have several generations per year and the moth can fly up to 100 km per night. FAW was first detected in Central and Western Africa in early 2016 (Benin, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo) and further reported and confirmed in the whole of mainland Southern Africa (except Lesotho), in Madagascar and Seychelles (Island State) . By 30 January 2018 FAW had been detected and reported in almost all Sub Saharan African countries, except Djibouti, Eritrea, and Lesotho.
The pest having been detected in Sudan raises the alert for Egypt and Libya. FAW is expected to spread further in Africa. The modality of introduction, as well as FAW’s capacity of biological and ecological adaptation across Africa are still speculative. FAW is a damaging transboundary pest that will continue to spread due to its biological characteristics and high volumes of trade between African countries. Farmers will need substantial support to sustainably manage this new pest in their cropping systems using Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has taken a lead role in convening partners and in organizing consultation meetings resulting in a region-wide multi-stakeholder “Framework for the Coordinated Management of Fall Armyworm in Africa”. One of FAO’s key next steps for FAW work in Africa is “to support the design and implementation of a sustainable and ecological pest management program for smallholder farmers in Africa, after looking at the experiences of farmers and researchers from the Americas” who have been living with the pest for several hundred years. Promising management practices will be tried and adapted in the field using Farmers ‘Field Schools (FFS) that involve farmers and farmers’ organizations across Africa, in collaboration with research and advisory services. Experiences and successes will be documented and shared to refine management options for African conditions. after looking at the experiences of farmers and researchers from the Americas ”who have been living with the pest for several hundred years. Promising management practices will be tried and adapted in the field using Farmers ‘Field Schools (FFS) that involve farmers and farmers’ organizations across Africa, in collaboration with research and advisory services. Experiences and successes will be documented and shared to refine management options for African conditions. after looking at the experiences of farmers and researchers from the Americas ”who have been living with the pest for several hundred years. Promising management practices will be tried and adapted in the field using Farmers ‘Field Schools (FFS) that involve farmers and farmers’ organizations across Africa, in collaboration with research and advisory services. Experiences and successes will be documented and shared to refine management options for African conditions.
What is the Fall Armyworm (FAW)?
The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), is an insect pest of more than 80 plant species, causing damage to economically important cultivated cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum, and also to vegetable crops and cotton. It is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. It is the larval stage of the insect that causes the damage. FAW reproduces at a rate of several generations per year, and the moth can fly up to 100 km per night.
What is the difference between the Fall Armyworm and the African Armyworm?
They are closely related, but have different behaviors and ecologies. FAW rarely displays the “Armyworm” behavior of larvae massing and “marching” across fields. As a native to Africa, the African Armyworm faces a complex of natural biological enemies (predators, parasitoids, diseases). The FAW probably arrived in African unaccompanied by its natural enemies, allowing their populations to increase even more unchecked than normal.
Is maize affected by FAW safe to eat?
FAW mostly eats the leaves of maize. Occasionally it will infest ears as well. Usually such ears are not consumed by humans. While direct damage from FAW does not affect the food safety of the maize, it could make the maize more susceptible to aflatoxin presence
Is the current situation OF FALL ARMWORMS going to get worse?
The adult female moth of FAW is a strong flyer and will continue to spread across the continent, and possibly beyond. Populations of FAW may continue to build, as they find more host plants to multiply on, and in the absence of the complex of natural biological enemies (general predators like ants and earwigs, specialized parasitoids) and a host of entomopathogens (viruses, bacteria and fungi).
What alternative crops can farmers be advised to grow?
Maize is the crop most infested now in Africa. As a staple crop, it is unlikely that farmers and their families will want to abandon maize. There are ways of managing FAW in maize, as demonstrated in the Americas.
What products can be used to control FAW, and when and how should they be applied?
FAO is working with member countries from around the world to determine the recommendations for farmers’ actions, including pesticides that are effective, yet with low risks to humans and the environment. These recommendations are made nationally
What pesticides should be used to control FAW?
Pesticides may be needed to control FAW locally. The most effective, low-risk, economical, accessible and easily used by smallholders (without sophisticated machinery) need to be determined within each country and across the continent. It’s not just a question of the most effective pesticide in a research station, the specific recommendations (active ingredient, formulation, type and timing of application), and their costs and benefits to smallholder farmers must be determined.
When should pesticide applications begin in maize to protect it from FAW?
Only when justifiable. Low levels of infestation at certain stages of maize growth may not cause much yield loss. The economic or action threshold must be determined and recommended for each stage of maize growth and for each type of pesticide and application techniques. Costs can vary tremendously. To economically justify their use, the costs of pesticide use must be equal to or less than the value of the additional yield that farmers receive for taking action. The prices that farmers receive for their harvest must also be correctly valued
Is the use of biological control a possibility for the FAW in Africa?
There are many biological organisms that can help control FAW. Some may be naturally occurring in Africa (general predators, parasitoids and some entomopathogens), and some might need to be introduced from the Americas (specialized parasitoids, predators and certain strains of entomopathogens). The use of botanicals is also an appealing option.
Is GMO maize the solution to FAW in Africa?
While GMO maize is already being used in South Africa, it is generally only accessible by larger commercial farmers who have access to capital, resources and stable markets for their maize. Over 98 percent of maize farmers in Africa are smallholders, growing maize on less than 2 ha of land and typically saving seed to plant the next crop. The use of purchased inputs, including seed, is low. Given the high cost of transgenic maize seed, the lack of adequate supply channels, and lack of economic incentives for smallholders to grow maize (due to the low and volatile prices received) there is a low probability that the technology would be used in a sustainable manner by smallholder maize farmers in Africa. Even for commercial maize farmers in Africa,
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