Fall armyworm in Asia:invasion, impacts, and strategies for sustainable management

Authors: PRASANNA, B - International Maize & Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); HUESING, JOSEPH - Huesing Agricultural And Educational Consulting Llc; PESCHKE, VIRGINIA - Oakland University; Nagoshi, Rodney; XIANGPING, JIA - Chinese Academy Of Sciences; KONGMING, WU - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; TRISYONO, Y ANDI - Yogyakarta State Unviersity; TAY, TEK - Csiro, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri; WATSON, ALIXON - Economic Research Institute For Asean And Asia; DAY, ROGER - International Centre Of Insect Physiology And Ecology; EDDY, REGINA - Us Agency For International Development (USAID)

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2021
Publication Date: 9/24/2021
Citation: Prasanna, B.M., Huesing, J.E., Peschke, V.M., Nagoshi, R.N., Xiangping, J., Kongming, W., Trisyono, Y., Tay, T., Watson, A., Day, R., Eddy, R. 2021. Fall armyworm in Asia: invasion, impacts, and strategies for sustainable management In: Prasanna, B.M., Huesing, Joseph E., Peschke, Virginia M., Eddy, Regina (eds) Fall Armyworm in Asia: A Guide for Integrated Pest Management, Veracruz, Mexico: CIMMYT Publishing. p.2-18.

Interpretive Summary: The Chief Scientist for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security has encountered few pests as alarming as the Fall Armyworm (FAW). This pest is at once invasive, able to attack multiple crops, and, in maize, it can be challenging to control. Native to the Americas, FAW is capable of long-distance movement, accelerating its spread across vital farming systems where it was heretofore unknown. The greatest concern is the threat it poses to maize, which is a food security and economic mainstay to countless millions of farm families and a vital food for hundreds of millions of low-income consumers. In a very short time, FAW has become a major threat across much of Africa and Asia and, because of its migratory nature, could one day also reach Europe. This publication on Fall Armyworm in Asia: A Guide for Integrated Pest Management offers to a broad range of public and private stakeholders – including national plant protection, research, and extension professionals – evidence-based approaches to sustainably manage FAW. The Guide is the result of contributions of dozens of institutions and individuals.

Technical Abstract: FAW’s emergence in Asia is a high concern given that the region contributes approximately 30% of global maize supplies, which are now at risk. Smallholder farmers are especially vulnerable, having limited access to the tools, technologies, and management practices that are necessary to sustainably manage the pest. As a novel threat, FAW also poses challenges to local governments and agricultural research systems, which must quickly monitor the pests' spread and provide the farming communities with effective control options. The upward trend in global temperatures exacerbates the situation as it increases the range and seasonal activity of insect pests. Associated losses in crop yield and quality are met, in turn, with efforts to increase production through expansion. This requires the use of more land and other natural resources, which in turn increases the global carbon footprint. Uncontrolled infestations also pose major food safety threats. This publication on Fall Armyworm in Asia: A Guide for Integrated Pest Management offers to a broad range of public and private stakeholders – including national plant protection, research, and extension professionals – evidence-based approaches to sustainably manage FAW.