Explainer / Fall Armyworm

The agriculture ministry has taken note of the Fall Armyworm infestation in the country. The infestation has been found primarily on maize and to a small extent on ragi and sorghum.

Steps taken to control its spread:

* The Indian Council of Agriculture Research has prepared a detailed package of practices against Fall Armyworm in maize. The package contains mechanical, cultural, biological and chemical measures to control the pest. The package has been circulated to all states for implementation. Timely advisories are being issued regularly to state agriculture departments to adopt preventive measures.

* A high-powered committee has been constituted to review the status and recommend appropriate strategies. Based on the panel’s recommendations, various sub-committees have been constituted in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar and Rajasthan.

* Regular surveys, surveillance and monitoring were conducted by Central Integrated Pest Management Centres in collaboration with state agriculture departments, agriculture universities and ICAR. Further, awareness programmes for farmers were organised to advise them to adopt cultural and farm practices.

* Certain bio-control agents have found effective against Fall Armyworm. Mass production of these agents has been promoted.

Key facts:

* Fall Armyworm is an insect native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.

* It was first detected in Central and Western Africa in early 2016 and has now spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and recently reached Yemen and India.

* In the larval stage, the insect causes damage to crops, feeding on more than 80 plant species

* Fall Armyworm primarily affects maize, but also rice and sorghum as well as cotton and some vegetables.

* The moth can fly up to 100 km per night and the female moth can lay up to a total of 1,000 eggs in her lifetime.

* Sustainable management practices that are used in the Americas need to be to be adapted to countries’ socio-economic and environmental contexts.

* In its 45-day-long lifecycle, the female moth of this pest lays around 1,500-2,000 eggs on top of the leaves. In the roughly 30-day larval stage, the caterpillar goes through six stages of development or instars.

* This is the most dangerous part of the lifecycle as the caterpillar feeds on leaves, whorls, stalks and flowers of crops. Once this stage is completed, the growing moth pupates in the soil - for 8-9 days in summer and 20-30 days in cold weather. The nocturnal egg-laying adults live for about 10 days, during which they migrate for long distances.

* What makes the pest dangerous is the polyphagous (ability to feed on different kinds of food) nature of the caterpillar and the ability of the adult moth to fly more than 100 km per night.

* Given its ability to feed on multiple crops - nearly 80 different crops ranging from maize to sugarcane - Fall Armyworm can attack multiple crops.

* Similarly, it can spread across large tracts of land as it can fly over large distances. This explains the pest’s rapid spread across India.