Fall armyworm: An insect that can travel 100 km per night & the threat it poses for farmers | Explained News, The Indian Express

Fall armyworm: An insect that can travel 100 km per night & the threat it poses for farmers | Explained News, The Indian Express

Written by Parthasarathi Biswas |Pune |Published: May 5, 2019 7:27:16 am

Fall armyworm: An insect that can travel 100 km per night & the threat it poses for farmers

Given its ability to feed on multiple crops — nearly 80 different crops ranging from maize to sugarcane — FAW can attack multiple crops. Similarly, it can spread across large tracts of land as it can fly over large distances. This explains the quick spread of the pest across India.

A maize farmer with his harvested crop near Purnea, Bihar. Prashant Ravi Entomologist Sharanabasappa Deshmukh with a pheromone trap to track fall armyworm buildup at a maize research field in Shivamogga, Karnataka. (Express Photo)

First reported in India last year, the Fall Armyworm (FAW) or Spodoptera frugiperda has become a major problem for farmers this year, with the pest hitting the production of the crop.