How Nandi farmers can handle fall armyworms

A farmer in Nandi County says he has a four acre maize farm that has not yet been attacked by fall armyworms.

They are scared that it might be attacked because the neighbours have the worms.

How can he keep his farm safe from attack of the worms.

Give simple and practical steps they can take to keep them away and in case an attack has started how they can address issue- 400 words

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The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) was an important pest for maize production in Kenya last year, and it is setting up to the same scenario this year.

The pest is out in full force in some parts of the country as has been highlighted in several media outlets.

What the farmers should be aware of is that the adult Fall Armyworm, which is a moth, can fly from one place to another (migratory).

Therefore, if a neighboring maize crop has already been infested, it is a matter of time, maybe even within a few days, that the pest-free maize crop will also be attacked.

It is difficult for the farmer to control the pest in his farm only, therefore concerted efforts are required. Farmers therefore need to do the following:

i)                   Scouting: Farmers should check their maize fields regularly after seedling emergence. Scout for fall armyworms by examining plants in several locations in the field starting from the margins where they can move in from neighboring farms or weeds. Scout about five or more locations depending on the size of the farm and ensure that you move towards the center of farm. Fall armyworms are most active early in the morning or late afternoon. Farmers should look out for ‘window-paned’ leaves, checking out for any sizes of larvae in the leaves and whorls (funnel)

ii)                 Monitoring: The most popular and widely used methods and devices for pest monitoring are sex pheromone and light traps. While the sex pheromone traps will catch males, the light traps will catch both males and females. Since the pheromone traps are already available locally, for early warning, the farmer should mount at least one pheromone trap per ha of the maize field. Since the trap catches do not accurately indicate the overall pest pressure to initiate an action such as spraying, the farmer should increase the frequency of scouting.

If the farmer spots larvae during scouting, spraying should begin immediately without waiting for further damage. When the larvae are young, they are easily killed by the pesticide.

The following insecticides have been recommended by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) to control the fall armyworm:

1.      Abamectin + Chlorantranilipole ( e.g. Voliam Targo 063SC)

2.      Lufenuron ( e.g. MatchÒ 50EC)

3.      Chlorantranilipole (e.g. CoragenÒ 20SC)

4.      Emamectin benzoate (e.g. Prove 1.92EC)

5.      Pyriproxyfen (e.g Profen 10.8EC)

6.      Acephate (e.g Orthene Pellet)

Spraying should be done late in the evening or very early in the morning when the larvae are active.

The spray should be directed to the plant whorls (funnel) and on top of leaves.

Farmers should repeat spraying 2-3 times within a 2-week interval to target young larvae that emerge after earlier sprays.

Farmers should note that the efficacy of any product will depend on factors such as stage of crop growth, developmental stage of the caterpillar, time of spray, weather conditions among others.

Also chemical pesticides should be purchased from authentic dealers to ensure that farmers achieve the expected results.

Also chemicals should be alternated preferably after every two applications to prevent pesticide resistance development.

Other non-chemical methods such as squashing the caterpillars  with the hands (mechanical control) are useful.

Remember killing one caterpillar prevents more than 1500-2000 new caterpillars after a period of less than 4 weeks.

Caterpillars can also be collected and killed either by drowning or other mechanical means.

Farmers should remember to keep records that may be useful for consulting with resource persons from the ministry of agriculture and other stakeholders for future planning in the management of the fall armyworm.

Dr Lucy Kananu-Murungi. specialises in Agricultural Entomology, Plant nematology, Integrated Pest Management, Plant-Pest interactions and natural plant products.

She is a member of five professional societies and has received various recognitions.

She has several publications in peer reviewed articles and has made several scientific presentations both nationally and internationally.