Family Farming Knowledge Platform

Biological control of Armyworm (Spodoptera Exempta)

African armyworm (Spodoptera Exempta) is a serious migratory pest of pasture and grain crops in Africa. Two novel control technologies are described to replace environmentally damaging and expensive synthetic chemical pesticides. The first is a process for local mass-production and formulation of S. exempta nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpexNPV), a naturally occurring biological control agent. The second is the validation of neem extracts, a locally available botanical agent. These approaches have now been adopted as national policy in Tanzania. This technology should be of interest to other African countries where armyworm epidemics are a problem (Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, South Africa, etc.).

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Author: UK Department For International Development (DFID) & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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Organization: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO TECA
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Year: 2020
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Geographical coverage: Africa
Type: Practices
Content language: English
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