The fall armyworm has become a complex pest to deal with.

By Farai Mabeza

GOVERNMENT has launched a new programme to combat the fall armyworm (FAW) (pictured) in the country.
The FAW is a transboundary pest that is difficult to manage and was first reported in southern Africa in late 2016. It continues to cause damage to maize and other crops both in Zimbabwe and the region.
Key concerns about FAW infestation are the impact on food security and livelihoods of especially smallholder farming households.
The programme will be conducted with assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
“Upon request from the Government of Zimbabwe, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) is pleased to provide technical assistance for the execution of the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) entitled Support for the management of the Fall armyworm in Zimbabwe,” FAO’s subregional coordinator for southern Africa, David Phiri, said last week at the programme’s launch.
The project has been designed to address the impact of the pest following reports of outbreaks in all of the country’s provinces.
In the project, FAO will work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in particular the departments of AGRITEX and Research and Specialist Services who will undertake the implementation of the project including the planning, monitoring, knowledge generation and information sharing.
Results and lessons from the project will be shared with other countries in the region to ensure the application of management measures is trans-boundary.
The project will adopt participatory approaches as well as leveraging linkages with the private sector and farmer organisations.
FAO has prioritised the building of resilience of farmers and countries to prepare for, manage and recover from disasters, including pests and diseases.
“In the short-term, the priority is to implement a sustainable management programme for farmers, this is what we are trying to achieve through the TCP on FAW.
“Special attention needs to be paid to recommendations on targeted pesticide use and the use of biological control,” Phiri added.
The project will produce and distribute communicational and educational material in local languages along, with key messages for local radio transmission, with the implementation of community-based integrated pest management (IPM) programmes using an agro-eco-systems approach and farmer field schools.
Medium-term measures include, area-wide monitoring, consolidation of knowledge on the developing patterns and ecology of FAW as well as collecting reliable data on yield losses and socio-economic impact.
FAO wants the development of long-term solutions to be based on using an agro-ecosystems approach to FAW management. This includes sustainable farming systems using IPM and innovative technologies with an emphasis on preventive measures and particular focus on agronomic practices and use of adapted and tested tolerant/resistant varieties.
[email protected]