Be wary of fall armyworm: Farmers warned

16 Jan, 2022 - 00:01 0 Views
Be wary of fall armyworm: Farmers warned Armyworm- image by stock

The Sunday News

Harare Bureau
AGRICULTURE experts have urged farmers to be alert for fall armyworm pests that could potentially derail the prospects of another bumper harvest.

The country is experiencing good rains, with normal to above-normal rainfall activity received in most parts of Zimbabwe over the past month.

Agritex chief agronomist, Mrs Rutendo Nhongonhema, said the dreaded fall armyworm is now a resident pest, which farmers should always prepare for.

“We no longer have fall armyworm outbreak, but fall armyworm attacks. So we urge our farmers to scout their fields for fall armyworm twice a week so that when they see the eggs they can either squash them with their fingers or use contact insecticides to control them. Fall armyworm become more of a problem as they grow where you can’t use contact insecticides to control them.”

Mrs Nhongonhema said farmers should also be on the lookout for other pests such as locusts and caterpillars.

“Caterpillars now have a high population. So farmers should always be on the watch in the fields. When farmers see locusts that they do not understand please notify your local extension officer so that they can notify the Plant Protection Research Institute so control is instituted immediately,” she said.

Mrs Nhongonhema urged farmers to top-dress their crops because the incessant rains will lead to leaching, leaving crops without nutrients.

“So we are encouraging farmers to split top dressing and it can be twice or three times in sandy soil, more frequently but putting smaller quantities is advised. We advise farmers to use urea where possible because it slowly releases nitrogen in the soil.

Another piece of advice to farmers is weeding, they must continuously weed. When it’s raining weeds grow vigorously, they can use herbicides if possible but this should be informed by the weather forecast or they can use physical methods such as pulling or slashing the weeds.”

Mrs Nhongonhema said farmers should maintain contours or construct storm drains which divert water from the fields into water ways to avoid the washing away of the crops.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Shadreck Makombe said the threat of fall armyworm was real.
“Farmers should be on high-alert for the fall armyworm especially in the Midlands province. Quelea birds are also a menace. On the quelea birds they should try to identify the roosting places so that action will be taken in terms of spraying them,” Mr Makombe said.

He said besides pests, weeds were also threatening crops as the incessant rains have not given some farmers time to weed their fields.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union president, Mr Paul Zakariya, said there were already some signs of armyworm infestations around the country.

“We should not relax at this point in time. Fall armyworm was introduced to our environment and is with us. We have already started seeing fall armyworm invasions. Bearing in mind that the bulk of the crop is a late one, around this time, crops are susceptible to infestation. Farmers and relevant stakeholders should remain vigilant and be prepared to respond.”

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