Autumn armyworm has spread to South Africa
Autumn armyworm can be one of the more difficult insect pests to control.
The news that the fall army worm has spread to South Africa (the latest news is that it has also been detected in the western parts of Mpumalanga and north-west parts of Gauteng) has the agricultural community in distress.
Mr Vusi Shongwe (Mpumalanga MEC: Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs) has warned that if this dangerous pest is left uncontrolled, it poses a serious threat on food security in the country.
The MEC said on February 10 in an official statement that the fall army worm, also known as the ‘herfs kommandowurm’ (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a new pest in South Africa and that no pesticide was previously registered to be used against it.
The worm was fist positively identified in Limpopo and Northwest a couple of months ago. It is native to South and Central America and also occurs in the southern states of the USA. The first detection of the worm in Africa was notified in January last year when it was spotted in Nigeria. From there it spread to several other western Africa countries and to central Africa by April 2016.
The fall army worm can attack several plant types such as maize, sorghum, soybeans, groundnuts and potatoes. It may also attack cotton. The worm is a strong flyer and could be distributed by prevailing winds over large distances.
Mr Shongwe said the department has set up an internal team that is comprised of officials from Research, Disaster Management and Farm Support whose task it is to scout the fields for possible outbreaks, create awareness through different activities and to liaise with organised agriculture and individual farmers.
The team will also work closely with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Agricultural Research Council’s Plant Protection Research Institute for as much assistance as possible. The team will meet regularly and progressively determine the way forward to manage this pest.
Mr Shongwe appealed to producers to report suspected detection of the pest to their local agricultural advisors. “We have set up an internal process where information will be sent to the relevant authorities who will then liaise with DAFF and the agricultural rural community for confirmation of the worm,” Mr Shongwe said.
