Meerut, Uttar Pradesh: After the wheat harvest, the summer sugarcane planting is still ongoing, and farmers are beginning to feel the pain caused by the fall armyworm. The affected crops are starting to suffer losses due to this pest. Following the outbreak of the top borer (stem borer) and now the fall armyworm, farmers are becoming increasingly worried, reported Live Hindustan.
In the Meerut district, the spread of this disease is also rapidly increasing, prompting action from the sugar mill and sugarcane department officials. They have started providing information to farmers on how to prevent this disease.
The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. The lepidopteran pest feeds on leaves and stems of more than 80 plant species causing major damage to economically important cultivated grasses such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane. It has been reported as a minor pest on several dicotyledonous vegetable crops and cotton, besides wild grasses.
