Centre asks States to monitor ‘Fall Armyworm’ pest infestation

Army worms usually feed at night and damage corn by chewing leaves. They prefer to feed on the succulent leaves in the whorl first.

With growing incidents of ‘Fall Armyworm’ pest infestation on maize, the Central government has issued an advisory to State governments asking them to closely survey fields and submit a detailed report.

The worm was first noticed in Karnataka and later spread to Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The pest has so far been found only on maize.

“This pest has been there for a decade in the US. This is not a new pest. It can be controlled,” said Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Trilochan Mohapatra.

The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is considered deadly as it has caused massive agricultural losses in several countries in Africa.

When is the Army worm most Common?

Army worms usually feed at night and damage corn by chewing leaves. They prefer to feed on the succulent leaves in the whorl first.

The full-grown 1-1/2 inch army worm has a greenish-brown body with a thin stripe down the centre and two orange stripes along each side. The head is brown with dark honeycombed markings.
Eggs are small, greenish-white, globular, and laid in clusters of 25 or more on the leaves of grasses.

Control
Preventive treatments for army worms are not justified. Although it may appear as if the preventive treatments are very effective, keep in mind that majority of fields will have some army worms in most years, but the chance of encountering an infestation that economically justifies the cost of treatment is small on a field by field basis. Only rescue treatments are recommended for army worms in corn. Spot treatments can usually provide effective control of field-margin infestations.

 News Source; Press Trust of India Updated By Agrovista  23:21 PM