Fall Army Worm identified in Limpopo
News of the dangerous pest has hit farmers hard, but plans are already under way to combat the scourge.
The department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (DAFF) on Friday warned the Fall Army Worm (FAW) a quarantine pest for South Africa, was positively identified in Limpopo, reports The Citizen.
The department said that it received a diagnostic report from the Agricultural Research Council, Plant Protection Research Institute (ARC PPRI) after the samples were jointly collected by scientists from the ARC Grain Institute and the North West University.
“These were caterpillars that had to pupate and emerge as moths before a positive identification could be done. FAW is a quarantine pest for South Africa which has a wide host range and can affect crops such as maize, sorghum, soybeans, groundnuts and potatoes,” the department said in a statement.
“This pest is a good flyer and cannot be contained in a specific area. Damage reported in South Africa so far is mainly on yellow maize varieties and especially on sweetcorn as well as maize planted for seed production. Reports of caterpillar damage have been received mainly from the Limpopo and North West provinces.”
The South African Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan is already in motion to deal with the pest, and is dependent on the extent of the spread and extent of the damage, the department said.
DAFF said with the positive identification it can assess the spread and damage, and create awareness to provide farmers with accurate technical information and control options.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana is expected to brief the media on the FAW today (Monday).
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