Fall Armyworm controlled in Odisha

News:Odisha have succeeded in thwarting an attack by the Fall Armyworm (FAW) on maize crop due to proper precaution and timely management by the state agriculture department and awareness among farmers.

Facts:

About Fall Armyworm:

• The Fall Armyworm(FAW) or Spodoptera frugiperda is an invasive agricultural pest.It was first reported in West Africa in 2016.
• FAW was spotted for the first time in India in Karnataka in June 2018 and then spread to ten other states including Odisha.
• The pest attacks the crop within 45 days of sowing, chewing away the unopened green leaves in the growth stage.If not monitored effectively, the damage can be massive even up to 100%.
• The pest can attack at least 80 types of crops including bajra, jawar, ragi, paddy, wheat and vegetables.However, in Odisha the attack have been confined to maize.

Additional information:

About Invasive species:

• An invasive species can be any kind of living organism amphibian , plant, insect, fish, fungi, bacteria or even an organism’s seeds or eggs that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm.
• The characteristics of invasive species includes (a)rapid reproduction and growth (b)high dispersal ability (c)phenotypic plasticity (ability to adapt physiologically to new conditions) and (d)ability to survive on various food types in a wide range of environmental conditions.