Armyworm not in Zululand – yet
Fall Armyworm creates havoc in northern provinces in South Africa
WHILE the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) scrambles to register pesticides to combat the fall armyworm, there has, as yet, not been any recorded sightings of the pest in Zululand.
The worm has been ravaging crops in Limpopo, North West and the Free State, but any effective pesticide will have to be registered before it can be used.
Since the fall armyworm (FAW), that originates from Brazil, is a new pest to South Africa, no pesticide has been registered to be used against it.
The Department of Agriculture has called on chemical suppliers to apply for emergency registration of agricultural chemicals to combat the outbreak.
It is believed the worm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has moved into South Africa after causing serious crop losses in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The fall armyworm attacks maize, sorghum, soybeans, groundnuts and potatoes.
The South African Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan, which deals with new pest detections in South Africa, has been activated.
DAFF is assessing the spread and damage caused by the pest and is creating awareness among farmers and providing control options.
Pheromone traps will be imported to catch the moths to determine the exact extent of the spread and the specific strain present in South Africa.
Diagnostic support has been increased to deal with the bulk of sample identification.
The United Nations has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the ‘spread of a dangerous insect pest in southern Africa’.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation will meet in Harare this week to determine an emergency response to the outbreak.
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