Occurrence, Distribution, Damage Potential, and Farmers’ Perception on Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith): Evidence from the Eastern Himalayan Region

Abstract

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a polyphagous non-native pest identified as a serious threat to crop production and food security globally, including in India. Its unintentional introduction and quick coverage in large areas is a serious concern to millions of farmers in the eastern Himalayan region. However, detailed understanding of farmers’ perceptions and the biological attributes associated with the meteorological factors for FAW is limited. The present investigation, which aimed to create baseline data on this pest, concurs with the idea that the FAW is widely dispersed throughout the maize ecosystems of Tripura, with an average infestation rate of 21.33 percent. The severity ranged from 0 to 1.40, with an average leaf damage score of 1 on a 0–4 categorical scale. The findings indicate that pheromone trap catch was significantly correlated with the evaporation rate as other meteorological factors influenced variably. The biological attributes imply that the life cycle was completed in 32.82 ± 0.08 days, with a high fecundity potential (1068.57 ± 4.35 numbers) in controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH). Indigenous natural enemies, such as entomopathogens, spiders, and wasps, were found to be the first defence against this invasive pest. A minority of the population (17.51%) was aware of the incidence of FAW. Furthermore, respondents’ socio-demographic variables were associated significantly with FAW status. This is the first scientific report from the eastern Himalayan region about farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the invasiveness of FAW. This finding enumerates a detailed understanding of FAW from diverse perspectives. Further, the concerted data provide an important baseline that could help the development of holistic management strategies for FAW.

Hymenopteran parasitoid complex and fall armyworm: a case study in eastern India

“…In this research we observed greater FAW damage to maize in early growth stages (the early-whorl, V3–V6), with both damage incidence and severity declining in maize plants in the late-whorl and reproductive stages. Similar results have been observed elsewhere in southern Asia 29 , 31 – 33 . However, little damage to reproductive tissues may have a greater impact on yield than the foliar damage in the early-whorl growth stages.…”

Evaluation of farmers friendly IPM modules for the management of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) in maize in the hot semiarid region of India

“…This counting method continued in a “W” fashion, gathering data from at least 40 plants. Additionally, they were advised to examine damaged whorls and record the number of larvae present in infested whorls at 15-day intervals 45 . Both expressed in mean egg mass/ plants and mean larvae/ plants, respectively.…”