The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has urged South African growers to remain alert to the presence of the fall army worm (FAW) during the upcoming crop production season.
The department has confirmed that FAW is present in all provinces in South Africa, with the level of infestation varying by province, district and area.
“Early detection is very important as it could be the key to containing outbreaks.”
This is according to Crop Watch Africa (CWA), who urged farmers to proactively spray registered agrochemicals in areas where they detected the pests.
The department, however, cautioned that the pest could rapidly develop resistance to agrochemicals, and therefore recommended that agricultural chemicals used for spraying be rotated within the cropping season.
Farmers can visit the department’s website to download FAW fact sheets. – Zoë van Rooyen