Fall Army Worm In Corn Field | NEPAL | 2020 | Preventive measures

                                    Fall Army worm In Maize  

                                                     fig. Corn invaded by fall army worm                                                  fig: FAW infestation in Corn Field

Order:Lepidoptera                         

Genus: Spodoptera  

Species: S.frugiperda 

 Phylum: Arthopoda                                

     The fall armyworm is a species in the order Lepidoptera and is the larval life stage of fall armyworm moth. FAW is locally called Phaujikira in Nepal.

    Armyworm moths are brownish  gray in color, and have a wing spread of about 37mm. The distinguishing mark (white-colored) in the center of each forewing helps to separate them from the other moths.The caterpillar stage of a moth, the FAW (S. frugiperda) is a uncontrollable eater of maize plants. Besides corn, it likes to feed on the leaves of turf grasses and stems of other species of crops including rice, wheat & sugarcane. An adult female moth can lay up to a thousand eggs in her lifetime. They also can fly up to 100 km in one night.

   Though it is native species of America, spreading throughout the countries over Africa, to India and the pest had spotted in April-May,2019 in Nepal for the 1st time. In 2020, the pest has spread from the Baitadi district, Far western part of Nepal, Chitwan in the central Nepal & the several places in the south.

   Maize is Nepal's second most important staple food crop after rice. Output of maize was reported 2.33 million tons in 2017, 2.55 million tons in 2018. The per capita maize consumption in Nepal is 98 gm per day. At this rate, the total maize requirement for food per year works out to around 2.9 million tons. The deficit is met by imports. But this year, it is expected that the net production will decline, due to pest attack.

Preventive measures of FAW Fall Armyworm 

Some Cure techniques of Fall Armyworm that can be adapted in case of Nepal

•  The International Maize and Wheat Improvement  Centre, CIMMYT is currently evaluating the efficacy of push-pull cropping system. This system is environmentally friendly pest control method which is also economically viable for maize production.This system includes two types of crops: Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) & Silverleaf desmodium legume (Desmodium uncinatum). Desmodium produces volatile chemical which repels the FAW moths, while the Napier grass produces the chemicals that attracts female FAW moths. The resulting push-pull system takes the pest away from the maize field.
• Use of Neem oil based bio-pesticides could be an option to control the larva as it is been easily available in the local market these days.
• Use of mechanical methods like hand picking, light traps and pheromone lures could be an option for monitoring and controlling the pest for the small scale farmers.
• Recommended insecticides include Chlopyrifos, Cholarantraniliprole, Malathion, Permethrin & so on. They provide extra benefits like desmodium improves the fertility of soil by its nitrogen fixing feature and also provides mechanical support to prevent soil erosion.
• Intercropping of legumes with maize which was earlier practiced by the local farmers can be reintroduced for the purpose of controlling the FAW pest with the help of agriculturists and scientists related to the field of agriculture.