Enhancing Europe’s readiness for managing fall armyworm, an invasive pest threat
The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is one of the major insect invaders in maize production regions worldwide. Over the last decade, this American-origin caterpillar has invaded Africa and Asia, whilst heavily impacting yields. In some countries, food security has been challenged. In other countries, the sudden heavy use of pesticides to control this invasive has created health and environmental problems. The pest has now started to migrate into Europe which is causing concern. Fall armyworm is a new pest to Europe, so the expectation is to use pesticides to control it. This collaborative project aims to improve the preparedness of European agricultural actors through safer and more sustainable control practices.
Integrated management of fall armyworm in rice-based ecosystems
Rice is a food security crop in the Philippines. It is the second most important commodity after sugar cane. However, an invasion of the fall armyworm in Asia is damaging food crops, including rice, and threatening the food, nutrition and income security of millions of farming households. To sustainably manage this ferocious pest, an integrated pest management strategy is required. CABI is providing its expertise to help the country develop ‘preparedness’ strategies to mitigate the impacts of fall armyworm on rice production.