Latest Armyworm Forecast from ETOP (December 2018)
Synopsis
Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (FAW): Moderate FAW outbreaks were reported in maize fields in the Copperbelt province in Zambia during December
African Armyworm (AAW) (Spodoptera exempta): Moderate AAW outbreaks were reported in maize fields in Malawi during December.
Current situation
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW was reported in the Copperbelt Province in Zambia during December. It was indicated that the pest may also be present in irrigated maize and other crops in Zimbabwe, Malawi and neighboring countries. In eastern Africa, infestations that were detected earlier in rainfed/irrigated fields in Rwanda, Kenya etc., are expected to have continued in some locations where crops were not yet harvested. FAW infestations were reported on some 2,700 ha in Oromya and Gambella Administrative Regions Ethiopia during December. The pest was detected on maize and sorghum crops and mechanical and chemical control operations were effected on some 1,300 ha.
African Armyworm (AAW)
Moderate AAW outbreaks were reported in Machinga, Shire Valley, Blantyre, and Salima Agricultural Development Divisions (ADD) in Malawi. The caterpillars were reported attacking mainly maize. Control was carried out by the affected farmers with technical and material assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (IRLCO-CSA).
Forecasts (for the next 6 weeks)
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW will continue being a problem in irrigated and rain-fed maize and other crops across several regions in Africa and Asia where the cropping seasons has kicked in.
African Armyworm (AAW)
AAW outbreaks are likely to continue in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe affecting late-planted cereal crops. Trap operators are advised to continue collecting moth catches and share trap data with the national forecasting officers.
Acknowledgements
This forecast is published by Lancaster University’s Armyworm Network: http://www.armyworm.org/. It is an extract from the Emergency Transboundary Outbreak Pest (ETOP) situation report compiled by USAID/OFDA/PSPM. They monitor ETOPs regularly in close collaboration with their network of national PPDs/DPVs, regional and international pest monitoring and/or control entities, including FAO, CLCPRO, CRC, DLCO-EA, and IRLCO-CSA, as well as Agency partners, and NGOs and provides timely analytical bulletins and reports to stakeholders across the globe. For dated, archived ETOP SITREPs, please, go to: https://www.usaid.gov/what-wedo/working-crises-andconflict/responding-times-crisis/how-wedo-it/humanitarian-sectors/agricultureand-food-security/pest-and-pesticidemonitoring/archive
