Posted on July, 24, 2017 at 11:53 am
By Tausi Nakato
In a bid to completely contain the killer fall armyworm, government has imported prowling insects which will eat the heavily destructive worm.
On Thursday at the ongoing National Agricultural Trade Show in Jinja, Dr Imelda Kashaija, the deputy director general for technology at Naro, revealed the predators are being tested by experts at Namulonge.
“We approached our colleagues in South Africa and they offered help. They encouraged us to explore the option of the predators which eat the fall armyworm aggressively. I can confirm the predators are already in the country and currently our lab experts are testing their efficiency,” said Kashaija.
“Once the tests are done probably before the next season, we will internally test them at our stations before rolling them to the farmers. We have hope that the fall armyworm will be contained,” she added.
The outbreak of the fall armyworm which negatively impacts on food and nutrition security was confirmed early this year. According to Kashaija, government which early this year distributed over 2500 litres of pesticides to maize farmers has not lost hope on the use of pesticides saying the predator insects will only compliment the control.
She said before the marauding predators are unleashed, the farmers should stick to spraying their gardens using the tested and recommended pesticides like the Striker 247 SC and Rockett 44EC.
Source: Daily Monitor