Outcomes from the Fall Armyworm in Asia Conference
SDSN Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems hosted the fully online e-conference Responding to Fall Armyworm in Asia from 10-12 July, 2019. Fall armyworm is native to the Americas but spread to Africa in 2016 and to Asia last year. It attacks maize and various other important food crops and thus poses a serious threat to food security. Over 300 participants registered for this e-conference to learn about fall armyworm in Asia in 3 live sessions with experts and to connect with each other via the online conference platform.
Wednesday 10 July: Fall armyworm identification, monitoring and status
On the first day of the e-conference, Kris Wyckhuys (Chrysalis Consulting) explained what fall armyworm looks like, how you can recognize it in your fields and outlined the variety of management options that are available ( slides ). Keith Cressman (FAO) demonstrated the new version of FAO’s monitoring app for fall armyworm which not only monitors the pest but also offers farmers advice ( slides ). Watch the video to learn more.
Thursday 11 July: Options to respond to fall armyworm in Asia
On the second day of the e-conference, Paul Jepson (Oregon State University) explained how certain pesticides do more harm than good by killing natural enemies and harming human health ( slides ). Malvika Chaudhary (CABI) then discussed the various options for biological control, i.e. biological control by introduction, augmentation and conservation ( slides ). Isaac Oyediran (Syngenta) discussed the role that Bt maize could play and the importance of insect resistance management for Bt maize ( slides ). Watch the video to learn more.
Friday 12 July: Responding to fall armyworm on-farm
On the last day of the e-conference, we zoomed in on the farmers and their reality. Fred Baudron (CIMMYT) shared insights on factors contributing to fall armyworm infestation and the impact on yields, based on 2 years of data on smallholder farms in Zimbabwe ( slides ). Anne-Sophie Poisot (FAO) focused on effective strategies to reach out to farmers, explaining that employing multiple approaches works best (see, hear and do) ( slides ). Watch the video to learn more.