Latest Armyworm Forecast from ETOP (June 2019)
Synopsis
Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (FAW): FAW was reported in maize fields in several countries in eastern, southern and western Africa during June. To date, FAW has been also detected in southwest and southeast Asia regions where it was observed causing damage to maize crops.
African Armyworm (AAW) (Spodoptera exempta): No AAW outbreak was reported during June.
Current situation
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW damage was reported in irrigated maize in Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Morogoro regions in Tanzania and low incidences of FAW infestations were also reported in late planted maize in Uganda during June.
In Ethiopia, FAW outbreaks were reported causing damage to Belg (shortrain) maize crops in Oromya and SNNP Administrative Regions and to Meher (long-rain) maize and sorghum crops in Oromya, Dire Dawa and Amhara Administrative Regions in June. The pest was reported on more than 30,000 ha of maize and 7,342 ha of sorghum in more than 3,090 villages in 277 districts during this month. Chemical and mechanical control protected more than 21,000 ha (DLCO-EA, IRLCO-CSA).
African Armyworm (AAW)
AAW outbreak was not reported in the southern and eastern outbreak regions in Africa during June (DLCO-EA, IRLCOCSA).
Forecasts (for the next 6 weeks)
Fall armyworm (FAW)
FAW will likely continue affecting rain-fed and irrigated maize and other crops in several countries in subSaharan African and across Southeast Asia during the forecast period. In IRLCOCSA region, FAW infestations are expected to continue on rain-fed maize in Kenya and on irrigated maize in other countries (IRLCO-CSA, OFDA/PSPM).
African Armyworm (AAW)
The likelihood of AAW appearing in its secondary breeding areas in diminishing although some insignificant numbers may appear here and there. All in all, it is unlikely that the pest will be a serious threat in breeding areas during the forecast period (OFDA/PSPM, DLCOEA, 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
