Armyworm Poses a Major Threat to Food Security Worldwide

Crop-Destroying Armyworm “Spreading Rapidly” in Africa –Study

Crop-destroying armyworm caterpillar is now spreading rapidly across Mainland Africa and could soon spread to tropical Asia and the Mediterranean, becoming a major threat to agriculture and food security worldwide, said CABI.

“We are now able to confirm that the fall armyworm is spreading very rapidly outside the Americas, and it can be expected to spread to the limits of suitable African habitat within just a few years. It likely travelled to Africa as adults or egg masses on direct commercial flights and has since been spread within Africa by its own strong flight ability and carried as a contaminant on crop produce,” CABI’s Chief Scientist said.

The fall armyworm destroys crop by burrows into them. It’s called the fall armyworm because it migrates into temperate North America in Autumn (fall). This pest has long been a problem throughout tropical America, damaging vital crops. It mostly affects maize (corn) but it has been recorded eating more than 100 different plant species, causing major damage to economically important cultivated grass crops such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane as well as other crops including cabbage, beet, peanut, soybean, alfalfa, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet, tomato, potato and cotton. Source: CABI

Related Links

• Armyworms March across Southern Africa Plaguing Crop Fields
• Scientists discover new crop-destroying Armyworm is now “spreading rapidly” in Africa

 

Armyworms March across Southern Africa Plaguing Crop Fields

• CJ Members

Outbreaks of Armyworms across Southern Africa threaten crops in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe

• An outbreak of armyworms has plagued Malawi, spreading across the southern African country and threatening maize and other crops.
• Malawi is the third country in the region to be invaded by armyworms.

• Details of Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.