Agri pest Fall Armyworm spotted in Telangana

The Fall Armyworm, a feared agricultural pest that was noticed in Karnataka for the first time in the country, has now been reported in neighbouring Telangana. The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is considered deadly as it has caused massive agricultural losses in several countries in Africa. The worm has been noticed at a few places in the districts of Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Sangareddy, Medak and Gadwal in Telangana, state Principal Secretary (Agriculture) C Parthasarathi said.

"It (Fall Armyworm) has been noticed at some places in these districts. The samples have been sent to Bangalore (for examination)," he told PTI. The pest has so far been found only on maize crop in the state, he said. The pest attack on maize crop is at a preliminary stage now and teams have been sent on a survey to ascertain if the worm is present anywhere else, he said. The senior official said that information on the Fall Armyworm, including on the pesticides to be used, has been circulated in the agriculture department and also agriculture scientists in the state. The worm was first found in Karnataka in the country and later spread to Tamil Nadu.