Press Trust of India
With growing incidents of ‘Fall Armyworm’ pest infestation on maize, the Central government has issued an advisory to State governments asking them to closely survey fields and submit a detailed report.
The worm was first noticed in Karnataka and later spread to Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The pest has so far been found only on maize.
“This pest has been there for a decade in the US. This is not a new pest. It can be controlled,” said Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Trilochan Mohapatra.
The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is considered deadly as it has caused massive agricultural losses in several countries in Africa.