A holistic approach to fall armyworm management
Learning Objective:
Participants should understand and be able to explain to others the principles of IPM and its relationship to a healthy plant and food system.
The FAO defines Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as the careful consideration of all available pest control techniques and the subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of pest populations. It combines biological, chemical, physical, and crop-specific (cultural) management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and minimize the use of pesticides, reducing or minimizing risks posed by pesticides to human health and the environment for sustainable pest management. You can find out more by visiting the FAO IPM homepage
Read
For comprehensive guidance on how to manage FAW using IPM read the FAO General guidelines for developing and implementing a regional IPM strategy for fall armyworm control in demonstration countries.
Activity
Keep a diary of your visits to a maize field. Try to record all your activities and observations in the field. An example of a diary is below.
| Name of farm/farmer: | |||
| Date of visit | |||
| Time of visit | |||
| Weather | |||
| Observations (e.g., plant health, pests & diseases present, beneficial insects, soil moisture, weeds) | |||
| Scouting What does my scouting tell me? | |||
| Management Write down any actions you do in the crop e.g. fertilizers, pesticides, weeding, planting, harvesting activities) | |||
| Next steps Are there any actions I need to think about over the next 1-2 weeks to help manage my crop? | |||
| Other notes |