With growing incidents of ‘Fall Armyworm’ pest infestation on the maize crop, the Ministry of Agriculture has issued an advisory to State Governments asking them to closely survey the fields and submit a detailed report. The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) regional representative Kundhavi Kadiresan also warned that Fall armyworm could have a devastating impact on Asia’s maize and rice producers and this is a threat that we cannot ignore.
The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is considered deadly as it has caused massive agricultural losses in several countries in Africa. The Fall Armyworm is known to attack several varieties of crops, but it prefers maize and sorghum because of the sweetness in their leaves.
The worm was first noticed in Karnataka and has later spread to Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The pest has so far been found only on maize crop. According to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Trilochan Mohapatra, there are reports of infestation in Karnataka. “It is spreading to other States. The Ministry of Agriculture has issued an advisory asking the States to conduct suvey of the affected fields and submit a report,” he said.
The matter will be discussed with State Governments, domestic and international research bodies to find out the technological solution and management practices to control the spread of the invasive agricultural pest, he said.
“This pest has been there for a decade in the US. This is not a new pest. It can be controlled,” he added.
Officials of Agriculture Ministry said that five districts - Hassan, Chikkaballapur, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru Rural of Karnataka - have been severely affected by this worm. The ministry has estimated a loss of over one lakh hectare of maize crops in these districts.
According to FAO, more than 200 million hectares of maize and rice are grown annually in Asia, which produces most of the world’s rice.