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Tackling fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) outbreak in Africa: an analysis of farmers’ control actions

Published: August, 2019

Journal article

Justice Tambo, Roger Day, Julien Lamontagne-Godwin, Silvia Silvestri, Patrick Beseh, Birgitta Oppong-Mensah, Noah Phiri, Mathews Matimelo

Since its emergence in Africa in 2016, fall armyworm (FAW) has spread rapidly and poses a severe threat to the food security and livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers in the continent. Using survey data from Ghana and Zambia, we examined FAW prevention and control methods implemented by farm households and their impacts on maize output and household consumption of self-produced maize. The main control methods used included pesticide application and handpicking of larvae, while access to information on FAW was a key driver behind the implementation of the control methods. Results from an endogenous switching regression showed that the implementation of a FAW management strategy significantly enhanced maize yield and households’ own maize consumption. When disentangling the impacts of the main control methods, we found that the combination of pesticide application and handpicking of larvae produced the highest yield gain of 125%. We concluded that the current interventions put in place by farmers to tackle FAW infestations are providing positive outcomes, but success-ful management of the pest will require more actions, including raising awareness to enhance the adoption of control interventions and exploring other control options.

Tackling fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) outbreak in Africa: an analysis of farmers’ control actions

DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/09670874.2019.1646942

Type Journal article

Published in International Journal of Pest Management, 66(4)

Language English

Year 2019