Latest Armyworm Forecast (February 2021)
Synopsis
Fall Armyworm (FAW)(Spodoptera frugiperda): FAW was reported attacking maize, sorghum and millet in Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
African Armyworm (AAW) (Spodoptera exempta): No AAW outbreaks were reported.
Current situation
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW was reported attacking maize, millet and sorghum in 8 Agricultural Development Divisions (ADD) in Malawi; in Sofala, Zambezia and Cabo Delgado Provinces in Mozambique; Dodoma, Municipal, Manyoni and Kilindi districts in Tanzania, in all 10 provinces in Zambia as well as in Midland, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Mashvingo Provinces in Zimbabwe. Control operations were mostly conducted by the affected farmers with material and technical support from MoAs. Some farmers utilized indigenous methods such as neem extract. In most places, assessed damage was reported as mild. No update was received from other countries at the time this bulletin was compiled, but it is likely the pest is present on irrigated and rain-fed cereal crops (BHA/TPQ, IRLCO-CSA)
African Armyworm (AAW)
No AAW outbreaks were reported during this month (DLCO-EA, IRLCO-CSA).
Forecasts (for the next 6 weeks)
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW is likely to continue affecting rain-fed and irrigated maize and other cereal crops across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Pacific Regions and elsewhere during the forecast period.
African Armyworm (AAW)
AAW likely appear in cereal and pasture fields in the central outbreak region, but the southern outbreak region will likely remain calm as the AAW season is coming to an end (BHA/TPQ, IRLCO-CSA).
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
