Ekiti government issues advisory on outbreak of fall armyworms

The Ekiti State Government has advised farmers to be on the lookout for the Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation outbreak in the state.

The advice was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Ebenezer Boluwade, the state commissioner for agriculture and food security.

Mr Boluwade said the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, has directed state governments to activate an FAW Desk to assess the severity of the infestation in cereal-producing areas.

He said Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has been a significant maize pest in Nigeria since 2016 and warned that it is capable of inflicting total yield loss.

He noted that maize is one of the most important cereal crops grown in Nigeria and a major part of the diet of millions of people in the country.

Mr Boluwade said the state government uses holistic management strategies to control invasive pests and prevent famine.

He emphasised the need for an “Integrated Pest Management approach” that requires the “integration of cultural, biological, botanical, physical, genetic and chemical control measures” to reduce the population of FAW in maize farms.

Mr Boluwade also said farmers could use botanical methods, including neem (Dogonyaro) tree leaves and Wild Mexican Sunflower (locally known as the June 12 plant).

He said that the process involves collecting a 50:50 portion of the two plants at 1kg each, soaking and macerating them in 10 litres of water, filtering, and using the filtrate to make 15 litres of pesticide in a sprayer to spray the whorls of the maize plants.

Another method suggested by Mr Boluwade is the use of Chili pepper and wood ash in a ratio of 1:4, poured into the whorls of maize plants.

Mr Boluwade also suggested another mixture of Tobacco, Garlic, or wood Ash for use on the whorls of maize.

He listed the chemical brands for FAW control to include Caterpillar Force, Sharp Shooter, Rocket, Cypermethrin, Ampligo, and NIHORT Lyptol/Raktin.

He urged affected farmers to contact the FAW Desk at the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security at +234 813 051 5166.

According to the UK Department of Entomology, while Fall armyworms can damage corn plants in nearly all stages of development, they will concentrate on later plantings that have not yet silked.

The agency said the worms can only be effectively controlled while the larvae are small, adding that early detection and proper timing of an insecticide application are critical.