Fall armyworm confirmed in South Africa
CropLife SA has learned about the outbreak of the dreaded fall armyworm (FAW) in maize in the area between Badplaas and Carolina in Mpumalanga. It is likely to be found in other provinces such as North West, Limpopo, Gauteng, the Free State, northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and some parts of the Northern Cape.
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility via Wikimedia Commons
Maize farmers are particularly vulnerable to this invasive pest species and should be on high alert for moth swarms late afternoon, egg parcels on maize leaves and caterpillars. Farmers are advised to read the CropLife SA position statement on https://croplife.co.za/FAW as well as the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) document.
Urgent action needed
Farmers who suspect that they may have FAW in their crops should take good-quality photographs with their smartphones and send them via WhatsApp to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn of CropLife SA on 082 446 8946.
Vegetable farmers and cotton farmers should also scout for FAW moths late afternoon. Pheromone traps are very useful for scouting and can be used effectively for early warning of FAW invasion.
Source: AgriOrbit
AgriOrbit is a product of Centurion-based agricultural magazine publisher Plaas Media. Plaas Media is an independent agricultural media house. It is the only South African agricultural media house to offer a true 360-degree media offering to role-players in agriculture. Its entire portfolio is based on sound content of a scientific and semi-scientific nature.
Go to: http://agriorbit.com/
