P.Bharat Chandra Scientist (Plant Pathology) All India coordinated Research Project on Maize Acharya N.G Ranga Agricultural University

3. Background: Fall Armyworm (FAW)
 A migratory lepidopteran (moth) pest species with a wide host range.
 Scientific name: Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera)
 Common name: Fall Armyworm (FAW)
 Originates in tropical regions of South America (e.g. Brazil, Argentina) and the
Caribbean region; also present in some southern states of the USA (Texas,
Florida)
 A serious pest of maize in Brazil and other countries
 In Africa: reported in 2016 (West and Central Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe):
yield loss 30-60%
 The adults (moths) are strong fliers for migrating to new areas on prevailing
winds/ weather systems.

4. • Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)
(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
• Migratory pest, native to Americas -the
tropical regions of the Americas from the
United States to Argentina and the
Caribbean region (Johnson 1987, Pogue,
2002)
• Polyphagous; almost 80 recorded host plants
in 26 families.
• Prefers graminaceous plants (grass species),
including economically important crops such
as maize, millet, sorghum, rice, wheat, and
sugarcane (Capinera, 1999; Pogue, 2002;
Goergen et al., 2016; CABI, 2017).

11. Fall Armyworm: identification

12. FAW life-cycle:

13. Fall Armyworm: identification (cont.)

14. 14
Windowing
Shot holes
Skeletonised
leaves
Tassel
damage
Cob
damage
Grain damage

15. The adult
phase
The larval stage – the
damaging phase
• The FAW can fly long distances – 100km per night,
2000km per lifetime,
• Six larval instars,
• Larva period is usually 14-28 days.
• Females lay eggs in clusters of fifty to a few hundred
and one can lay up to 2000 eggs in a lifetime.
• 6 - 12 generations per season

16. Fall Armyworm: Damage
 It feeds on leaves especially when they are still at younger growth
stages.
 Generally feeds on foliage, but during heavy infestations, larvae will
also feed on corn ears.
 Foliar damage to corn is usually characterized by ragged feeding,
and moist sawdust-like frass near the leaf whorl and upper leaves of
the plant.


17. Damage by FAW (cont.)
 In maize, silk (tassel) damage can lead to pollination problems
 Early leaf whorl feeding damage
 Stalk damage
 Tassel feeding
•

18. Fall Armyworm in MAIZE

25. Management:
• Azardirachtin 5% spray
• Poison bating with Thiodicarb
(Mix 10 kg rice bran+2 kg jaggery+2-3 litres water keep the
mixture for 24 hours to ferment and add 100 gm thiodicarb just half
an hour before application in field)the bait application should be into
the whorl of the plant.
 As Nomuraea rileyi was recorded infecting larvae in the field,Hence spraying
N.rileyi on 15-30 day crop will be helpful in checking the pest.
• Spraying of Emamectin benzoate @80-100 gms per acre