AIZAWL, April 24: An outbreak of the fall armyworm
has been reported from
some districts in Mizoram
where the never-seen-before worms attacked crops
like maize, paddy, sugarcane
and soyabean, officials said.
The officials said that this is
the first time that the fall armyworms have attacked
plants in Mizoram. The
worms, about 3.40 centimetres in length, have attacked
over 80 different plants and
vegetables, mainly maize.
Joint teams of the Agriculture Technology Management
Authority and District Agriculture Office on Tuesday organised on-the-spot training
and demonstration on how to
prevent the worm attacks for
maize farmers in Aizawl district whose crops have been
attacked by the worms. The
training was simultaneously
organised in Sesawng, Kelsih
and Maubawk villages.
State agriculture experts
have consulted scientists in the
ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize
Research. Based on the scientists’ instructions, the experts
used pesticides and distributed leaflets to the farmers.
Mizoram became the latest
State in India to report infestation of the fall armyworm.
In just nine months since the
worm was spotted in India in
Karnataka last June, it has invaded crops in more than 10
States. As if taking a pre-scripted route, the worm infestation
has spread from Karnataka to
all southern States, then to
western Maharashtra and Gujarat and now to the eastern
Indian States.
Other than fast advancement, the pest is also attacking new crops. In Lunglei district in southern Mizoram,
the pests attacked tomatoes
grown in greenhouses.
Though it is being detected mostly in maize crops, a
preliminary calculation estimates that it has affected nearly 1,70,000 hectares of maize
crops – there have also been
reports from States where
it has infested paddy, sugarcane and sweetcorn.
Experts said that the worm
was found in the Americas
since 100 years and had spread
to other continents, including
African countries where it ravaged maize fields in 2016.
Food and Agriculture Organisation has regarded the
worm as a danger to global
food security.
Officials said that the worm
was detected in at least 10
States in India with the worsthit States – Maharashtra,
Kerala, Chandigarh and Gujarat – losing maize yields. ~ Assam Tribune
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