Southern armyworm identified from West and Central Africa

Edited by Washington Otieno, Roger Day and Matthew Cock. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has confirmed that caterpillar and adult moth samples from West and Central Africa are southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania.
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A night at the movies: with soybean and fall armyworm as stars of the show

Farmers in northern Ghana are beginning to get a taste of the latest movie out of the Box Office – it’s not a romantic comedy or a thriller – instead it’s a production that will help them get more from their soybean crops and protect their maize from the fall armyworm caterpillar.
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Parthenium: Controlling the world’s most destructive toxic weed

The poisonous Parthenium hysterophorus plant is one of the world’s most destructive invasive plant species, threatening biodiversity, food security and human health across numerous countries. The herb is native to Central and South America but has spread to over 40 countries over recent decades including Australia, India, Ethiopia, Swaziland and South Africa.
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Fostering partnerships to combat fall armyworm

Since 2017, CABI has been heavily involved in the international effort to develop and implement a continental framework for tackling fall armyworm in Africa. Initial meetings resulted in the development of a draft framework, which identified roles for different organisations involved in fall armyworm management globally and on the African continent, including CABI. This has…
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No stranger to the Victoria Falls: The fall armyworm marches on menacingly

The town of Livingstone, in the Southern Province of Zambia is world renowned for its magnificent views of the Victoria Falls. Annually, thousands of visitors flock this town to awe at one of the seven natural wonders of the world. A few kilometres away from this picturesque view lies Kazungula, a small border town between…
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Farmers Need Long-Term and Short-Term Solutions to Combat Fall Armyworm in Kenya

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Hybrid Swarm: A Threat to Food Security in South America

By Charlotte Day. Australian scientists have published findings confirming the hybridisation of two of the world’s most invasive agro-pests into a more advanced ‘mega-pest’.
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The search for an alternative to pesticides for the Stink Bug

CABI’s expertise in scientific research and development is helping to lead the fight against a global pest which has already caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage to hazelnut crops in Georgia and apple production in north eastern regions of the USA. Known not only for its pungent smell to deter predators and its ability…
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Using roundworms to manage the Tomato Leaf Miner

Research recently published in the Journal of Economic Entomology has offered new insight into managing the tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) using entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN). If the pest is not adequately managed, it can cause up to 100% crop loss in both field and green-house grown tomatoes. Also causing further concern is the increasing insecticide…
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Taking on Fall Armyworm in Africa: The search for effective natural enemies

The Fall Armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda has emerged as a serious threat to food security for millions of smallholder producers in Africa due to its rapid spread across the continent and extensive damage to staple cereals. At the last count, at least 28 countries were reported to be affected by the pest in Africa.
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