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Fall Armyworm / Stem Borers

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a common pest in the Western Hemisphere affecting many commercial crops, most importantly maize. This voracious Lepidoptera (grouping of insects that includes butterflies and moths) was first detected in Central and Western Africa in 2016 and has quickly spread throughout the continent. Fall armyworms thrive in tropical and sub-tropical climates but also spread to colder areas after overwintering in areas without severe freezes. Adult moths spread quickly via strong winds (Capinera 2005). 

Thousands of hectares of cropland have been affected in Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Western Kenya and Tanzania (Organic Farmer 2017). Field corn and sweet corn account for most of the economically significant losses, but sorghum, cotton, millet, peanut, rice, soybean, sugarcane, and wheat are susceptible, thus affecting both incomes and food security. The situation is so dire for smallholder farmers in Malawi that President Mutharika declared a state of disaster and mobilized government agencies to assist farmers and subsidize pesticides. Crops in Malawi most affected are maize, sorghum, and millet (Mumbere and Mtuwa 2017). 

  1. Smallholder management of fall armyworm

    13-11-2024 The overwhelming majority of global maize farmers are smallholders, usually producing less than two acres of maize to feed their families. However, most global maize production technology has been made for large-scale farmers who grow their maize for international markets where maize is used for...

  2. Farmer resilience and innovation through community-based Fall Armyworm Control

    13-11-2018 The Fall Armyworm pest on the Africa continent has dire consequences for food security, especially in countries with heavy reliance on single staple crops susceptible to its effects. In Malawi, where 60% of calories come from maize, Fall Armyworm is devastating. While externally-driven and...
    Armyworm

  3. Fall Armyworm Question and Answer

    01-08-2024 This article contains questions about fall armyworm (FAW) from ECHO staff and answers from Dr. Allan Hruska who led FAO’s Global Program on FAW. General topics covered are managment options, early detection, and research.
    Fall Armyworm

  4. Invasion of the Fall Armyworm

    27-04-2018 Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a common pest in the Western Hemisphere affecting many commercial crops, most importantly maize. This voracious Lepidoptera (grouping of insects that includes butterflies and moths) was first detected in Central and Western Africa in 2016 and has quickly...
    IPM Integrated Pest Ma... Pest Management Pest Control Armyworm Crop Pests East Africa West Africa

  5. “Push and Pull” in Combatting Fall Army Worm and Witchweed (Striga)

    In the Push-Pull system, crops that repel pests and/or attract pests’ predators are intercropped with maize, to ‘push’ pests away from the main crop. Plants that attract pests are planted around the field, to ‘pull’ pests away from the maize. Incorporating legumes in this system means that soil...

  6. Killing fall armyworms naturally - video

    Access Agriculture Training Video By making best use of farmers’ friends and local plants on the farm, nature will help you control the fall armyworm and reward you with a good and healthy crop. Available languages: Amharic Arabic Bambara Bangla Chichewa / Nyanja Chitonga / Tonga Dholuo Dioula...
    AccessAgriculture Fall Armyworm Armyworm

  7. How to Identify and Scout for Fall Armyworm

    The Fall Armyworm is an insect that can damage your maize plants or even cause you to lose your whole maize crop. The best way to protect your maize crop is to scout early and treat early. In this animation, we will explain how to scout for the fall armyworm, so you can take action to protect...
    SAWBO Maize Armyworm IPM Integrated Pest Ma...

  8. Maize Armyworm and Stalk Borer Scouting

    20-04-2018 The introduction of Fall Armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda) to Africa in 2016 has raised concerns of possible widespread damage of maize and other crops. Stalk borers are a common pest of maize throughout Africa, causing modest damage virtually every year. Armyworms, on the other hand, can...
    Maize Armyworm

  9. Push-Pull Farming System Controls Fall Armyworm: Lessons from Africa

    Abstract, 2018, Outlooks on Pest Management Fall armyworm (FAW)Spodoptera frugiperdainvaded Africa, with the first detections being reported in Central and Western Africa in early 2016, and now affects at least 40 countries in Africa, causing up to total crop loss amounting to over $6.2 billion...
    Armyworm Striga

  10. How to control fall armyworms using organic methods

    The fall armyworm is a heavy feeder that quickly destroys the maize crop. It can destroy an entire crop if it is not controlled on time. It can spread fast, and can fly over 30 kilometres in one night assisted by the wind. The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) derives the name from its’...
    Armyworm East Africa

  11. Ecological management of Fall ArmyWorm

    Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), FAW, is an insect native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Its larval stage (photo) feeds on more than 80 plant species, including maize, rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. FAW can cause significant yield losses...
    Armyworm Training

  12. A climate-adapted push-pull system effectively controls fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith), in maize in East Africa

    Highlights • Fall armyworm has invaded Africa, causing substantial damage to maize and other crops. • There is no control method for this pest in Africa, and pesticides are only minimally used in the continent. • Climate-adapted push-pull technology overcomes stemborers, some of which belong to...
    Armyworm

  13. Adaptive Potential of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Limits Bt Trait Durability in Brazil

    Abstract, 2017, Journal of Integrated Pest Management The fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda(J. E. Smith 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is the most important corn pest in South America. Larvae feed mostly on leaves, but also ears when population densities are high. This pest has been...
    Journal Integrated Pest Ma... Armyworm Brazil Latin America and ...

  14. Fall Armyworm in Africa: A GUIDE FOR INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

    20-01-2018 This FAW IPM Guide is designed for use by professionals in plant protection organizations, extension agencies, research institutions, and Governments, whose primary focus is smallholder farmers and the seed systems that support them. The FAW IPM Guide is meant to provide an important foundation...
    Armyworm Integrated Pest Ma... East Africa West Africa

  15. Southeastern Asia fall armyworms are closely related to populations in Africa and India, consistent with common origin and recent migration

    Abstract, Nature, 2020 The discovery of fall armyworm, a native of the Western Hemisphere, in western Africa in 2016 was rapidly followed by detections throughout sub-Saharan Africa, India, and most recently southeastern Asia. This moth pest has a broad host range that threatens such important...

  16. SAWBO - How to Identify and Scout for Fall Armyworm: Variant for Nepal

    The Fall Armyworm is an insect that can damage your maize plants or even cause you to lose your whole maize crop. The best way to protect your maize crop is to scout early and treat early. In this animation, we will explain how to scout for the fall armyworm, so you can take action to protect...
    SAWBO Fall Armyworm Maize Nepal

  17. IPM-Based Animation For Fall Armyworm: A Multi-institutional And Virtual International Collaboration Using The Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) Platform

    Abstract,Outlooks on Pest Management, 2018 Rapid dissemination of critical and accurate information to low-resource and poorly literate people in crisis situations has long been a challenge. Historically, print media as well as radio and television have served as major delivery channels. With the...
    Fall Armyworm

  18. SAWBO - Climate-smart Push-pull System for Stem Borer Management in Maize

    Growing maize is hard work and pests make it even harder. Insect pests can attack your maize crop and destroy it, affecting your family's nutrition, or costing you money. This animation will take you through the steps of protecting your field from pests like the stem borers by using a push-pull...
    SAWBO Pest Management Stem Borer Maize

  19. Cross-Border Technology Transfer: Biological Control of the Fall Armyworm in Asia and Africa

    The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is becoming a household name around the world, but not for good reasons – the pest, native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, devours over 300 plant species, including maize, which feeds millions of people every day. In Africa alone, the fall...
    Fall Armyworm Integrated Pest Ma... West Africa East Africa Asia

  20. AgriTraining on Fall Armyworm Mitigation: Learning Modules for Trainers of Smallholder Farmers in Africa

    Agri-Training is an organization that provides training and information sharing for smallholder farmers. This set of 7 modules goes over Fall Armyworm Mitigation using Integrated Pest Management and Good Agricultural Practices. The training content is a bit dense, but the supplemental training...

  21. Scouting for Fall Armyworms - Video

    Access Agriculture Training Video Spraying pesticides is expensive and usually cannot control this pest. Visit your field twice a week for the first 6 weeks and kill any egg masses and young armyworms by hand. It is important to do scouting because without it, you will not have a harvest at the...
    AccessAgriculture Fall Armyworm Integrated Pest Ma... IPM

  22. ICIPE - Fall Army Worm Push-Pull Technology

    ICIPE Feature 2 Feb, 2020
    Push-pull ICIPE Fall Armyworm

  23. The Use of Vetiver Grass for Controlling Stem Borer of Rice in China

    This TVNI hosted webinar “Vetiver Grass for the control of stem borer of rice in China” was held on March 1st 2022. The webinar (55 minutes) comprises a presentation by guest speaker Dr. Zhongxian Lu of the Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,...

  24. Managing Fall Armyworm

    A guide to low cost pest management approaches.CIFOR-ICRAF Fall armyworm (FAW), scientific name Spodoptera frugiperda Smith, is an invasive pest that first arrived in sub-Saharan Africa in 2016. It is a pest of maize and other cereals, although it can eat many plants, and when it first arrived,...

  25. Farmer perceptions, knowledge, and management of fall armyworm in maize production in Uganda

    Odong Thomas Lapaka , Obongo Isaac , Ariong Richard , Adur Stella E. , Adumo Stella A. , Onen Denish Oyaro , Rwotonen Bob I. , Otim Michael H. ,Farmer perceptions, knowledge, and management of fall armyworm in maize production in Uganda,Frontiers in Insect Science,2024,...

  26. How to manage fall armyworm: a quick guide for smallholders

    Ogolla This Quick Guide summarizes some of the key concepts and practices that smallholders around the world are trying and using to sustainably manage FAW. Farmers should work together to share their knowledge and experiences to better manage FAW in their local context. They should learn,...

  27. Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) management by smallholders.

    A. J.Hruskahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0984-3816 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome 00153, Italy. CAB Reviews 2019 14, No. 043 Keywords: Africa, Agriculture, Americas, Asia, Fall armyworm (FAW), Infestations, Maize, Pests, Smallholders...
    Fall Armyworm