Chapter 12. Eco-friendly management approaches of Fall Armyworm : Experiences and prospects in Bangladesh
Material type:
TextLanguage: English Publication details: SAARC Agriculture Centre, 2022. Dhaka (Bangladesh) :Description: 15 pagesISBN: - 978-984-35-1599-5
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book part | CIMMYT Knowledge Center: John Woolston Library | General Book Collection | Available |
The Fall Armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, a potentially damaging pest invaded Bangladesh in 2018 and established itself in different parts of the country as the environment is favorable for the insect. It has been documented to cause devastating damage in the crop Maize both in Robi and Kharif seasons for its high ability to multiply and quick spreading (Islam et. al., 2019). Being transboundary and fast-spreading nature with high reproductive capacity and a wide host range, Fall Armyworm is likely to continue its spread and colonization especially in favourable habitat of the maize ecosystem in the country, and pose a great impact on the food security and livelihoods. Farmers usually apply readily available pesticides to overcome the problem of FAW. Unfortunately, the chemicals are often not effective (Prasanna et al., 2018) and pose a significant risk to human health, biodiversity, and the environment. Fall Armyworm is reported to develop resistance to many common pesticides, including pyrethroids (Yu, 1991). Moreover, the application of highly toxic pesticides risks damaging the natural regulatory forces of the pest (Jahan and Islam, 2019). Pesticides should be used only when necessary and in an appropriate way. The Government of Bangladesh has initiated some measures since the arrival of FAW and formed a national task force to tackle the problem. Among others, Bangladesh Agricultural University with the support of KGF immediately discovered the invasion of the pest, looked into farmers' perceptions and developed and / modified some technologies for its management and also created awareness among many maize growers and stakeholders providing knowledge on identification, biology, ecology and technologies of control measures through training field days and workshops. The performance of the larval parasitoid Bracon hebetor, as well as various bio-rational control approaches were determined and fine-tuned to promote sound and sustainable Fall Armyworm management. This study compiles brief documentation on the current situation of FAW and natural enemies as a regulatory force and many other aspects of this particular pest to develop an IPM strategy on a short term and low-cost basis for smallholder farmers in Bangladesh. The research would also aid in a better understanding of supply-side bottlenecks and the collaborative development of measures to address the mismatch between agro-dealer demand for Bio-control agents and input industry supply.
Text in English