30
Jul
New Study Reveals Natural Enemies of Fall Armyworm in Both Asia and Africa (Entomology Today)
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a resilient pest that has wreaked havoc throughout Africa and Asia in recent years, despite persistent efforts to mitigate its spread.
Native to the Americas, the fall armyworm reached Africa in 2016 and Asia in 2018, attacking maize and hundreds of other vital plant species. In 2017, it was assessed that the economic value of fall armyworm damage in 12 countries in Africa could be between $2.5 billion and $6.3 billion. The pest’s resilience to harsh conditions and chemical pesticides—especially amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited agricultural labor and production efforts—is setting unprecedented challenges for farmers in the developing world.
