Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), is a trans-boundary insect with a high potential to spread rapidly due to its natural distribution capacity and opportunities presented by international trade. Fall Armyworm (FAW) represents a real threat to food security and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. FAW has spread across all of subSaharan Africa, the Near East and Asia. The Fall Armyworm, an important crop pest native to the Americas, was first formally reported in Africa in January 2016, and subsequently confirmed in more than 40 countries. Given the importance to control the pest in the region, SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC) organized the Virtual Regional Expert Consultation Meeting on “Fall Armyworm – the status, challenges and experiences among the SAARC Member States” to assess the extent of spread or existence of the pest in South Asia. The country status papers and technical paper presented during the meeting by the National Focal Experts of South Asian countries were incorporated in this book. The country status papers revealed the pivotal roles played by various National and International organizations contributing to improvement of rural livelihoods through effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. This book 'Fall Armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) - the status, challenges and experiences among the SAARC Member States' is published to share information on the status of the pest in the region and also covers the issues and challenges in managing the pest, which can help to review and develop policies for developing sustainable agriculture. It helps to study the requirement of adequate institutions, strengthen sustainable management approach, research and extension support service and capacity development at various stages of crop production cycle to the farmers and technicians.

Text in English