Demian Mabote (left), an agriculture officer at the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, recording data in the agroecology trial for managing fall armyworm. Photo: ICRAF/Nema Amanzi
Deploying a range of non-hazardous technologies, researchers are joining forces to better manage the pest.
As the fall armyworm continues to spread across the globe, researchers are keenly pursuing technologies that will assist farmers in managing this invasive pest that is threatening food and nutrition security and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of smallholders.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that fall armyworm could cause losses of between 8.3 to 20.6 million tonnes of maize annually, valued at USD 2.5–6.2 billion, enough to feed 40–100 million people in 12 African countries. Finding safe and effective ways of managing this voracious pest is crucial.