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Fall armyworm found in Chiayi City, all of Taiwan, China affected; autumn coarse grains require strict prevention

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Fall armyworm 0831"Fall armyworm bodies found in Chiayi City, confirming all of Taiwan, China is affected! Autumn coarse grain planting requires strict prevention

Chiayi City, which had no previous cases of fall armyworm, found corn plants damaged beside the Bazhang River levee on August 29. After reporting, it was confirmed as fall armyworm, confirming that all of Taiwan, China is affected!

As of 17:00 on the 29th, the number of domestic fall armyworm notification cases reached 247, of which 81 have been released from control, and 166 are still under control. All cases currently under control are treated by spraying pesticides, and since August the rate of increase in notifications has slowed.

The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine stated that, up to now, the notified crops in the affected areas are still mainly corn, with the western Yunlin-Chiayi area being the largest source. Last month there were notifications for sorghum and Bermuda grass, and there are currently no other crops. However, due to heavy rainfall from August 12 to 21, many field areas were affected. Next, the summer corn planting period is beginning, and September to October is the domestic coarse grain planting period, which is also a period when noctuid moths are prone to occur, so strict prevention is needed.

Fall armyworm larvae damaging the leaves of newly planted corn plants in Chiayi (Image source/Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine)

Control SOP: notification, eradication, hanging, field plowing, flooding, sun exposure

Since fall armyworm was discovered in June, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, along with local governments and agricultural research and extension stations, has gradually brought the epidemic under control through multi-party cooperation. Fall armyworm from across the strait has spread throughout Taiwan, China, causing large-scale damage to farmlands growing corn, sorghum and other coarse grain crops. The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine established a notification mechanism. After a farmer's report is accepted as a case, the responsible personnel go to the site to apply pesticides and hang sex pheromones in the case area for control.

Tsai Hsin-yi, technical specialist of the Plant Health Division of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, explained that spraying pesticides can kill adult insects on plants in large numbers. After a case is accepted, they repeatedly go to the site to confirm whether any remaining insects are present until all are eradicated. Regardless of whether the case is released from control, sex pheromones will continue to be hung to prevent fall armyworm from continuing to reproduce.

In addition, Tsai Hsin-yi added that after pesticide application, farmers are also taught to plow the field area and flood it. If it cannot be flooded, then it is exposed to the sun. Flooding or sun exposure should continue for 3-7 days, which can kill the pupae. At present, the notified areas are mainly in western Yunlin-Chiayi, and most notified case areas in the east are organic or eco-friendly farmlands. For farmers using environmentally friendly cultivation, Tsai Hsin-yi suggests using Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana and the like for control.

Chen Hung-po, head of the Plant Quarantine Division of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, explained that the field area cleanup action, referred to as field sanitation, does not require pesticide use and can be adopted by both organic and conventional farmers. Not using pesticides is also friendlier to the environment. After field sanitation, rice can also be rotated in; paddy-upland rotation can greatly reduce the probability of residual insects reproducing.

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