TECHNICAL PROCESS TO PREVENT FALL ARMYWORM

Autumn is the season when pests and diseases are raging, especially Fall armyworm. To have a succesful crop we need timely preparation and prevention.

1. Harmful characteristics

Only young worms damage plants, and young worms 1–2 years old feed on the cuticles on the underside of young leaves, causing characteristic white square or rectangular stains. Older young worms feed on leaves, sheaths forming large holes like "windows".

The Fall armyworm can eat more than 300 species of plants, including corn, cotton, soybeans, rice, sugarcane, vegetables, and tomato, especially sticky rice and corn.

2. The path of invasion, spread

Fall armyworm can penetrate through the main roads:

- Young worms move at a close distance (tree to tree; field to field).

- Young worms, pupae, eggs, even adults move according to the products and by-products of host plants (maize, grass for feed, golf grasses and so on) when transport host trees across the border or according to commercial goods from abroad into Vietnam or between localities in the country.

- Adults fly by themselves to find a place to spawn at a distance of a few hundred meters to tens of kilometers.

- When migrating, adults can fly with the wind hundreds of kilometers away.

3. Prevention measures

Preventing Fall armyworm with integrated pest management, including:

3.1 Cultivation practices

- Clean weeds around corn gardens to limit worm shelter.

- Grub the soil and then dry it so that the larvae and pupae in the soil die or are easily destroyed by the natural enemies.

- Rotating corn - wet rice right after the corn crop to kill pupae in the soil. Thorough soil preparation also contributes to kill pupae in the soil.

3.2 Manual measures

- Regularly check the field, especially at the stage of 3-6 leaf to detect nests and destroy.

- Use kitchen ash or dilute soapy water to pour in young leaves to kill worms.

3.3 Biological measures

- Limit the use of chemical plant protection products to protect the natural enemies of the Fall armyworm.

- Use green fungus, white fungus, Bt bacteria, and NPV virus to spray when the worm is young.

- Multiply egg parasitic bees (red-eyed bees, ...), predatory species such as the ringlegged earwig to control newly hatched worms or young worm.

3.4 Trap and bait measures

- Lure traps, light traps: Use yellow sticky traps containing sex pheromones, sweet and sour baits or light traps to kill adults.

- Trapping plants: In the maize field, plant some areas of elephant grass and sticky corn earlier than the general season to lure adults to lay eggs. Using adult kill traps, cutting nests and spraying pesticides to kill young insect on trap areas.

3.5 Chemical measures

- Use allowed pesticides to spray the majority of insects are 1-3 years old (3-6 leaf stage) in early morning or cool afternoon.

- Use of plant protection products according to the 4 correct principle.

- If the List of plant protection products permitted for use in Vietnam does not yet contain the Fall armyworm insecticide, the guidance of the Plant Protection Department shall be followed.

According to: National Agricultural Extension.