Experts at a seminar have called for applying integrated management techniques to overcome fall armyworm which was damaging a wide variety of crops and inflicting economic loss worth millions of rupees.

The seminar arranged by Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf. Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that locust and hefty rains had caused heavy losses to the sector. After that, fall armyworm (FAW) has emerged as the biggest challenge. He said FAW is an invasive polyphagous pest, damaging many crops including corn, wheat, cotton, sugarcane and others. He said that the integrated pest management including chemical, biological control and others should be applied to combat the situation. He added that we have to develop the strategies to overcome the FAW at the initial level. He said that unavailability of quality seed, fertilizer, and changing climate were hampering the process to get the fruits from our agricultural potential. Talking about other agricultural issues, he said that the market was flooded with uncertified seed. It was not only decreasing our production but also putting a dent on farmers’ incomes. He said that strengthened academia- industry linkages would pave way to address agriculture problems. He added that our import was far-beyond than our exports. Quoting the examples of Singapore, he said that it was one of the small country, but proving its mettle in economic development with the tool of knowledge-based economy. Chairman Entomology Dr Sohail Ahmad said that they had surveyed the infected areas. He said that no nation can make the development without effective research and development (R&D) activities. He said fall armyworm larvae feed on the lower surface of leaves. Damage mostly, appears in patches. The larvae feed on the green leafy material and, in case of severe attacks, the veins are only left behind. He said that the country must ensure a prompt surveillance system.