Armyworm crop pest spreads across SA

The fall armyworm invasion has spread across all provinces in the country except the Western Cape.

The crop pest was reported by farmers in Limpopo‚ North West and the Free State last month.

Dr Gerhard Verdoorn‚ director at Griffon Poison Information Centre‚ said the caterpillar was rapidly moving south and east of the country. Most farmers were unaware of the invasion‚ potentially affecting the fight against the pest.

He said the fall armyworm had been identified in south and east KwaZulu-Natal‚ mainly on maize. "It was confirmed that potatoes in farms in Groblersdal‚ Limpopo‚ were affected by the armyworm invasion.”

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The extent of the damage to commercial maize is not yet clear‚ but a growing number of small-scale and subsistence farmers have lost their maize crops.

“There is progress in areas where farmers are controlling and are well aware of which pesticides to use. The use of registered pesticides is successfully controlling the fall army worm‚" said Verdoorn.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is coordinating the fight against the caterpillar‚ working with the agriculture research council‚ academics from University of the North West‚ the seed industry‚ the plant science industry‚ and Grain SA.

The department has confirmed reports of the pest spreading across the country.

Spokesperson Bomikazi Molapo said the bulk of the maize crop remained unaffected. However‚ there had been reports of soya‚ sorghum‚ soya and groundnut crops being hit.