Government Efforts to Manage FALL ARMY WORM
Government Efforts to Manage FALL ARMY WORM (Spodoptera Frugiperda)
Fall Armyworm Moth; is a migratory pest native to North and South America. This pest occurs in large numbers and its caterpillars cause severe damage to more than 80 plant species especially cereal crops such as: maize and rice.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries constituted a multi-institutional technical team with experts drawn from public and private sector. The institutions represented include: KALRO, KEPHIS, CABI, PCPB, ICIPE and Plant Protection Services; State Department of Agriculture. The team developed a strategy to guide efforts towards management of Fall Amy worm.
Status of Fall Army Worm Spread in Africa
From the African continent, this pest was first reported in September 2016 in the West Africa region. It has now been reported in Central, Southern and East African regions. In Kenya, FAW infestation was first detected in Trans Nzoia County in the second week of March, 2017 on off-season irrigated maize.