FAO launches the training of Farmer Field School on Integrated pest Management for Fall Armyworm

8 November 2021, Amman - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations launched the Farmer Field School (FFS) training on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Fall Armyworm (FAW).

This training falls within the regional activities of “Emergency preparedness and response to strengthen capacities of NENA countries to mitigate the risk of Fall Armyworm (FAW) in the region” project funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan.

Fall Armyworm (FAW) is an invasive transboundary insect pest can feed on more than 80 crop plants. Upon its introduction to Africa in 2016, the pest has caused devastating losses in many economic crops, particularly maize.

The objective of the fifteen sessions training, which will be implemented in Deir Alla, Shouneh Al-Janoubiyah as well as Al-Aghwar Al-Janoubiyah and ending on December, is to build the capacity of maize farmerson the FFS For the integrated management of fall armyworm pest by training them on field scouting, FAW trapping, damage assessment and yield loss estimation.

After the spread of FAW in Africa in 2016, the pest was first reported in the region in Sudan and Yemen in 2018. Currently, there are 8 countries that have officially reported the presence of the pest, including Egypt, Oman, UAE, Mauritania, Jordan and Syria.