Ravaged by a caterpillar: On the armyworm invasion in India |ForumIAS

ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 26th June. Click Here for more information.

Article

The danger posed by an invasive species namely the ‘Fall Armyworm’ and the risks posed by it.

Important Facts:

It carried its worst attacks in 1912 where it swept almost the entire U.S. and destroyed the corn and millet and severely injured cotton and truck crops (a vegetable crop raised on large scale for shipment to distant markets), and destroyed grass on lawns.
This invasive species has spread to 43 countries today and was first seen in Asia five months ago.
It reproduces rapidly, and the continent’s tropical and sub-tropical climates allow it to feed all year round.
Since its identification in Maharashtra , the pest has reached as far as West Bengal and Gujarat.
Karnataka is one of the largest maize producers in India, and maize is the third most widely produced cereal in the country. Armyworm being parasitic upon maize, thus poses a greater damage to the crop.

Congress grass, is believed to have bought from wheat shipments from the U.S. under the 1950s PL-480 Food for Peace program.
In 2008, the papaya mealybug, a central American native, entered the country and destroyed plantations in several States.
Then, in 2014, the tomato pinworm, or Tuta absoluta, a South American moth, was spotted in Karnataka and within few years, reached Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and other regions, and caused widespread damage to tomato crop.

The alien species migrate to a new geography from their native lands and pose risk to both agriculture and wildlife.
The absence of natural predators from their original habitat allows them to disrupt ecosystems and cause massive economic losses.
Invasive alien species could be insects, trees, weeds or viruses. Few die out in new environments and some become naturalised, e.g. eucalyptus species in India.
The Naturalised aliens maintain their population and do not pose a great risk to biodiversity.
A 2007 analysis of invasive species present in 227 countries found that out of several factors such as a country’s population density and amount of cropland, it was the degree of international trade that contributed the most to the number of invasives.

Quarantine system: It is the first line of defence under which imports of grains and plants that can host such insects are inspected at shipping ports, airports and land border crossings.
Biological control : It requires importing natural predators of the species from its native country. E.g. A wasp called Acerophagus papayae against papaya mealybug was bought from Mexico.

This system is built around the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order of 2003.
In India, responsibility to control invasive alien species lies with the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, Haryana.
However the directorate is failing in its task since it lacks key experts at the notified points of entry.
India also has historical vulnerability to the alien species owing to numerous invasions from Mughals to the British and the Portuguese, who brought their share of noxious weeds, insects and trees.

Quarantine systems should be strengthened at the internationals airports.
Prominent sign boards in airports warning passengers of the dangers of bringing exotic fruits and flowers into the country.
Better training of plant quarantine officers and for providing them with equipment to detect dangerous species.
Extensive surveys to track the pest’s spread and parasitoids to kill the eggs of the caterpillar.

As the Destructive Insects and Pests Act is subsidiary to the Customs Act, 1962, quarantine officials do not have the power to search and seize in India.
Moreover the customs officers focus on items like gold and narcotic drugs which is completely different from what a quarantine officer wants to examine.
So in 2013, after widespread recognition of the lapses in the current quarantine system, a new Bill called the Agricultural Biosecurity Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill borrowed from the most stringent quarantine regimes in the world, such as the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
The Bill envisaged setting up an autonomous body called the Agricultural Biosafety Authority of India unlike present quarantine which is under Ministry of Agriculture.
The authority could even penalise States for not following its directions in controlling an invasive species outbreak.
Quarantine officers also had wider powers under this Bill but the bill stands lapsed today.

Ravaged by a caterpillar: On the armyworm invasion in India