Naturally-occurring bio-control agents The Fall Armyworm has many naturally-occurring ‘natural enemies’ or ‘farmers’ friends’. These biological control agents are organisms that feed on FAW. In the Americas, and probably in Africa, these natural enemies can be active during all development phases of FAW, i.e. in the egg, larval, pupal and adult stage. Natural enemies have the […]
Author Archives: sukahumbu
Ch 4: Managing FAW Mechanical control and local controls
A very important management option for smallholder farmers in Africa, based on the experience of smallholders in the Americas, is to visit their fields regularly, and crush egg masses and young larvae*(“use your fingers, not pesticides”). Farmers should visit fields twice a week during vegetative stage, especially in periods of heavy oviposition by FAW, and once […]
Ch 5: Managing FAW with Push Pull
Push-pull technology Push-pull is a habitat management strategy developed and implemented to manage pests such as stem borers, striga weed and address soil degradation, which are major constraints in maize production in Africa. The technology entails using a repellent intercrop (Desmodium as a “push”) and an attractive trap plant (Napier/Brachiaria grass as a “pull”). The […]
Ch 15: Don’t panic! Maize plants can compensate significant damage by the Fall Armyworm
Damaged plants can scare farmers. Never before have they seen this type of damage, where the insect eats through so much of the leaves. Farmers know about stem borers, but because they aren’t often seen (hidden in the stems), they don’t often scare farmers like this new pest, the Fall Armyworm. The spectacular-looking damage is […]
Ch 3: Managing FAW
The most promising options for the management of FAW by African smallholders are presented below, building on experiences from the Americas and latest research available in Africa, reflecting IPM strategies. These can be tested out in FFS as appropriate. Seeds and varieties Seed treatment might prevent early damage of the seedlings after germination. Longer-term solutions […]
Ch 2: Differentiating the Fall Armyworm from other worms
Other pests of maize are present in Africa which resemble to some degree the FAW. You can differentiate them by learning to identify the worms themselves at their different stages, and the type of damage they produce. Below are different species of maize stalk borers and their life stages. The most important stem borers pests […]
Ch 1: Biology-ecology and identification of the Fall Armyworm
Key facts Credits:FAO, CABI,Infonet 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 […]
Ch 1: Why we need Pollinators
“One in three bites of food is thanks to a pollinator” When a flower is pollinated it can produce seeds, and fruits. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers to the stigma of a flower. Plants rely on wind, water, or animals called pollinators to move pollen between different flowers. In this way […]
Ch 21: Photos of pollinators around the world
Ch 15: Pollinators and Pesticides
Pesticides present us with a challenge. Most wild pollinators are insects, and pesticides are substances designed to kill or control insects. Pest control is important in small-scale, and commercial farming systems, yet insects are critical pollinators of our crops. The application of pesticides must take into account potential negative effects on biodiversity, and especially avoid […]