ARMY WORM INFESTATION WORRIES FARMERS

By Jessica Mwansa

FARMERS must invest in pheromone traps to detect early pest attacks as one of the proactive measures, Climate Action Foundation Executive Director Oliver Bulaya has said.

Speaking to The Scoop, Dr. Bulaya emphasized that army worm attacks on crops were not a new phenomenon and farmers needed to be ready for anything.

He said it was important for farmers to ensure that their fields were sprayed immediately after germination to avoid the risk of pest infestation.

“We have been teaching farmers as local agricultural experts since 2015 about the devastating impact of pests such as army worms on crops. We issued a warning to farmers prior to the start of the 2023/2024 farming season as it was predicted that this season would be characterized by high weed pressure and increased cases of army worm infestation in some areas due to the extreme climate crisis,” D. Bulaya said.

He encouraged farmers to take appropriate measures to protect their crops rather than being reactive to pest infestation.

He stressed the importance of preparedness and the use of integrated pest management approaches.

“Clearing of the area surrounding the fields is a protective measure against harmful invaders. Additionally, inter-cropping or crop rotation are some of the strategies to minimize farm losses,” he said.

He urged farmers to intensify field scouting in order to determine the threshold of pest infestations, rather than resorting to indiscriminate spraying of fields.

“This approach helps avoid wiping out populations of beneficial insects in the field by synthetic pesticides, chemical waste, and environmental contamination. Spraying should only be considered as a last resort when the pest threshold is reached, and the correct chemicals and dosages must be used. To assist farmers, agronomists and extension officers are available to provide further guidance and support,” he said.

He added that in the event of a national disaster, the Government must be well prepared in advance before the rainy season to support farmers.