RADA urges farmers to heighten crop surveillance amid ‘explosion’ of beet armyworm
ABIGAIL BARRETT / Our Today
The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) implores that all farmers ramp up mitigation strategies to control the beet armyworm population in their fields.
The beet armyworm, which transforms into the small mottled willow moth, is a prevalent agricultural pest.
Francine Webb, senior plant health and food safety officer with RADA, stated that rising temperatures are conducive to the growth of pest populations.
“What farmers must do now is to monitor their farms. With beet armyworms, we must remember that they operate mostly at night. The eggs are laid in egg sacs, so there are between 50 and 150 eggs at a time,” she said.
The RADA food safety officer highlighted that pests can cause significant damage in a short period.
“We have very little tolerance for them, so once you see them, we say utilise the pheromone traps. That will help in monitoring the population at this time across all these areas because you are expecting now at this time that the population will increase in your area,” Webb said.
“Beet armyworm numbers are also impacted by what is happening around you with your neighbour’s activity. So, pheromone traps help in monitoring that population and help you in guiding what action you need to take in the field,” she added.
Pheromone traps can disrupt mating and reduce reproduction, and farmers can purchase them and other pest management materials from their nearest RADA office.
Comments