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Armyworm threatens crops, pastures: Arex
Tsitsi Matope, The Herald (Zimbabwe)
January 11, 2006

http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=1403&cat=1&livedate=1/11/2006

There has been an outbreak of armyworm, which is threatening crops and pastures in four provinces in the country, the Agricultural, Research and Extension Services (Arex) said yesterday.

The voracious caterpillars that travel in multitudes have invaded vast tracts of fields and grasslands in the Midlands, Mashonaland West, Mashona-land Central and Mashonaland East provinces.

Mt Darwin, Muzarabani and Mutoko were yesterday reportedly hard hit after fields of flourishing maize and small grain crops were devoured by the worms.

This was the second time the caterpillars have invaded Mutoko after another invasion last month.

In an interview, Arex chief entomologist Dr Godfrey Chikwenhere said they have since dispatched a significant quantity of carbaryl, a chemical which destroys the armyworm, to affected areas.

"In some parts of Mashonaland East, which include Mutoko and Mudzi, Mashonaland Central’s Mt Darwin and Muzarabani, Darwendale and Manyame in Mashonaland West and parts of Midlands Province where we have received reports that the worm was ravaging crops and pasture, farmers are already spraying the chemical.

"We have not received any reports of outbreaks in Matabeleland and Manicaland provinces," Dr Chikwenhere said.

He said officials from the Plant Protection Research Institute would patrol some parts of Mashonaland Central today to assess the situation.

"We also want to assess whether the chemical that we are using is effective. We are urging farmers to, at the moment, spray on the crops alone while we wait on the pastures, which are critical for our livestock. Measures will be found on how to deal with pastureland because we do not want to affect the livestock with carbaryl," Dr Chikwenhere said.

The outbreak of the armyworm comes hardly a week after head of Arex’s Plant Protection Research Institute, Dr Cames Mguni, revealed that the country is short of essential pesticides to control any plant disease outbreaks.

Dr Mguni said carbaryl, used to control armyworm, diazinon, amitraz, dynamec and cascade, are in short supply.

Last night, Dr Mguni said chemicals that were dispatched to Marondera yesterday were from the old stock that was tested and found to be effective.

"We understand farmers in Mashonaland Central who needed urgent assistance due to the severity of the situation are being provided with chemicals by a team from Operation Maguta while efforts are being made to make more chemicals available," Dr Mguni said.

He said his department would today make contacts with their counterparts in Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa to check whether there have also been outbreaks.

"This would help us control the outbreak as a region, if other countries are also affected."

However, Dr Mguni said with the rains being experienced in the country, the bulk of the armyworms would be destroyed by the water since they do not thrive under wet conditions.

The armyworm has always been one of the country’s greatest challenges during most farming seasons.

Major outbreaks are traditionally reported in Mudzi, Muzarabani, Chishawasha, Harare, Headlands, Guruve, Mt Darwin, Rushinga, Banket, Beatrice, Glendale and Chinhoyi.

During the outbreaks, there have always been concerns on the need to find a lasting and effective way to deal with the caterpillars.

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