ICAR Meet To Discuss Fall Armyworm Menace

With reports of Fall armyworm (FAW) infestation keeping farmers worried in different States, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has asked States to improve the capabilities of their agricultural departments to identify the problem and initiate mitigation measures.

- KV Kurmanath

Meet in Delhi

“We have convened a meeting with representatives of international agencies in Delhi that are already working on the issue in Africa. Taking their inputs, we have developed a strategy on how to tackle the issue,” Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (Union Ministry of Agriculture), and Director-General of ICAR, has said.

“We have sent the States the details of the strategy and advisory on how to tackle this pest,” he said. “Since it is a new pest, natural enemies such as Beauveria (fungus) have already started working in controlling FAW. We have also identified 6-7 chemical pesticides that can be used.”

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