The production of primary crops like corn is expected to reduce with the spread of the dreaded Fall Armyworm (FAW) insect pest.
The Crop Protection Division of the Bureau of Plant Industry in Davao (BPI Davao) has reported the presence of FAW in a corn plantation and urged farmers to take precautionary measures to prevent its rapid proliferation as it poses threat to food security.
Marilou Infante, regional crop protection center chief, told media in Kapehan sa Davao that FAW larvae or spodoptera frugiperda were found in the corn plantation of Yoshida Farms and Trading Corporation in Cadalian, Baguio District. The said larvae was also present in a farm in Malalag Municipality.
FAW is an insect pest that can feed on more than 80 crop species and may cause significant yield reduction on major cultivated cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum and also to legumes, vegetables, crops and cotton if not managed.
Although, the presence of FAW in Yoshida farms, which is about one hectare of corn, is not that massive but it is best to manage the insects early according to Infante.
“Maskin gamay siya amo ginapahibalo kay wala ta kabalo basin naay other areas na gi-itlogan. Didto ta gamay pa man pero we are sharing the information not to create panic but awareness. Dili man gud puwede nga lingkuran lang nato ug dili namo ipahibalo. We are pro-active to inform and make the farmers aware,” she said.
Infante said there is a probability that it is FAW that is infesting the said farms as they are still awaiting for the confirmatory results from the Bureau of Plant Industry in Manila, which is examining the three specimens sent by them.
She said they are expecting to receive the confirmatory results this week.
“These insects are not endemic in the Philippines that is why they don’t have natural enemy. Gikan ni sila sa South America ug nakaabot sa Davao seguro tungod sa paglupad lupad,” she said.
She said that presence of FAW was confirmed first in Isabela in Region 2 and and in Region 12 this year.
Among the measures suggested to farmers is to religiously monitor their fields and identify the worms as well as do blanket spraying on their farms.
Another recommendation is to use Metarhizium anisopliae, which is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and causes disease in various insects by acting as a parasitoid.
“In case ito ay confirmed, we have to be vigilant kay kung walay action na information, wala ta ikasukol sa peste kay 21 days pa lang, manganak na pud siya,” Infante said.
