Agric and Environment Editor
Government has launched a bio-pesticide spraying operation in Chiredzi and Gokwe districts to contain the breeding of locusts.

Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services Institute told The Herald recently that his department had received bio-pesticides to help carry out infestation controls in areas where the swarms laid their eggs.

“We are in the fields assessing locust breeding grounds in Chiredzi and Gokwe,” he said.

“So far we have received 40kg of Metarhizium, a biopesticide used for controlling hoppers in breeding grounds. We are prepared to deal with locust outbreaks should they be any for now. Dealing with any breeding population is critical in the fight to contain outbreaks.

“Fall armyworm continues to cause crop damage and we are encouraging early scouting for early control. Chemicals should be applied once at least 20 percent of the plants show signs of infestation/damage.”

Zimbabwe has for the past two months been mobilising resources to take adequate preventive measures following sightings of locusts that swept through parts of Namibia, hitting grasslands, trees and 50 000 hectares of crops recently.

Locust forecasting and management of locust outbreaks was being done in three provinces, namely Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland North.

The Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services was working closely with sugar cane growers to monitor locust infestations.

“For now we are closely working with other partners at Chiredzi Sugarcane Experimentation Station to carry out surveillance, but there is no imminent threat for now,” Mr Nyamutukwa said.

“Calculating from last year experience, sugarcane was attacked in March so this is a good time to survey breeding grounds. We have to control any hoppers that we see before they swarm and fly.”

Last month, the African migratory locusts damaged at least 50 000 hectares of cropland in Namibia’s Zambezi region.

The latest wave of locust invasions hit nine regions and more than 500 square kilometres was attacked in areas that include Kavango East and Kavango West, an area bordering the north-western tip of Zimbabwe.

Mr Nyamutukwa said they had not received any reports of locust sightings in the Victoria Falls and Jambezi communal areas in Matabeleland North.