Latest Armyworm Forecast (December 2020)
Synopsis
Fall Armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda) : FAW was reported in Arumeru Region in Tanzania and a similar situation is likely in other countries where maize is in season and irrigation is in progress.
African Armyworm (AAW) (Spodoptera exempta): AAW outbreak was not reported during this month.
Current situation
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW outbreaks were reported in maize crop in Dondo, Nhamatanda, Caia districts, Mozambique; Central, Luapula, Lusaka, Muchinga, North western, Northern, Southern and Western Provinces of Zambia; and Machinga, Salima, Shire Valley and Blantyre Agricultural Development Divisions (ADD) of Malawi. Control operations were carried out by the affected farmers with technical and material support from MoAs. FAW infestations were also reported in maize fields in Dodoma, Irringa, Mbeya and Njome regions in Tanzania. It is likely that the pest was also present in irrigated and/or in-season maize and other cereal crops in outbreak countries and regions elsewhere (BHA/TPQ, DLCO, DLCO-EA).
African Armyworm (AAW)
AAW outbreaks were not reported during this month (BHA/TPQ, DLCO-EA).
Forecasts (for the next 6 weeks)
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW is likely to continue affecting rain-fed and/or irrigated maize and other cereal crops across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Pacific Regions and elsewhere during the forecast period. Active monitoring, surveillance, reporting and preventive and curative actions remain critical to abate significant crop damage (BHA/TPQ).
African Armyworm (AAW)
No major AAW activities are expected during the forecast period (BHA/TPQ).
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
