- Agriculture scientists and environmentalists predict that the devastating pest fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) , native to tropical and subtropical North America, could turn out to be a scourge for farmers in former undivided Adilabad district in the coming crop seasons.
- The pestilence, which had primarily attacked maize crop in Nirmal and Adilabad districts, had damaged crop to the extent of 90% in some cases and is expected to attack even cotton and soyabean crops.
- Now it has been detected for the first time in northeastern states including Manipur, scientists from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Manipur Centre have disclosed.
- The insect which lays to waste crops like maize was detected in the maize research farm of ICAR, Manipur Centre in the outskirt of Imphal city and also at Chandonpokpi village farm in Chandel district.
- It was also reported from Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura this month.
- In India, it was detected for the first time in Karnataka in May 2018 and rapidly spread to other parts of India including Chhattisgarh in January this year.
- Fall armywork was earlier confined to America until 2015 and by 2017 spread to some African countries, wreaking havoc in the continent.
- In the last season agriculture scientists had deployed some methods of damage-control in maize crop in Karnataka. One of the methods, suggested by Food and Agriculture Organisation, was the use of sand and lime mixture in the whorls of the maize plants.
