Fall armyworm, a global farm threat, knocks on India’s door
NEWDELHI: A voracious new pest, the ‘fall armyworm’, cited by global agencies as an international food-security threat, has been spotted in Karnataka’s maize pockets for the first time, prompting a nationwide alert.
The crop-munching caterpillar, spodoptera frugiperda, was first detected two years ago in Africa. It has since spread to more than 30 countries, devastating corn potentially worth $5 billion, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
“It was discovered during routine surveillance and an alert issued on July 30. The pest incidence is more than 70% in the areas surveyed, including Hassan, Belur and Shimoga,” AN Shylesha of the Bengaluru-based National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, said.
The FAO, which is funding projects to stop the pest’s spread, warned in June that 300 million Africans could face hunger because of it. The UK-based Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, in a statement on its website, said the “food security of millions could be at risk if fall armyworm spreads across Asia”.
India alone produces over 20 million tonnes of maize. “There is no need to panic because India has natural enemies to the pest, unlike Africa. Therefore, it may not cause as alarming a situation here as in Africa,” Shylesha said.
Natural enemies refer to insects or animals that in turn feed on the fall armyworm. These include a fungus species called nomuraea rileyi, several varieties of ladybirds and beetles as well as earwig, an insect of the forficula species, widely prevalent in India. If the invasion spreads, India may be required to import traps with pheromone, a chemical substance that kills fall armyworms, Shylesha said.
The pest’s larvae primarily feed on maize, but can devour just about any crop. The worm is a native of north and south America. The insects bureau, affiliated to the state-run Indian Council of Agricultural Research, has activated a national monitoring mechanism. A meeting, with representatives from the agriculture ministry, is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on Thursday.
“Molecular identification of larvae by Dr SK Jalali (of the bureau) and (his) team confirmed 100% match with populations from Canada and Costa Rica,” the bureau’s alert, seen by HT, states.
According to a statement by Gopi Ramasamy, CABI’s country director, it is likely that the pest arrived through “human-aided transport”. “Natural migration is also a possibility since it’s able to fly hundreds of kilometres in one night on prevailing winds.”
Invasions have been noticed in about six districts in Karnataka, where up to 60% of maize crops in affected farms have been crippled. There aren’t reports of the pest’s spread beyond Karnataka yet, but neighbouring Maharashtra is under watch.