JULY 8,
2019
by Toby
Bruce, The
Conversation
A very
hungry caterpillar is rampaging through crops across the world, leaving a trail
of destruction in its wake. The fall armyworm, also known as Spodoptera
frugiperda (fruit destroyer), loves to eat maize (corn) but also plagues many
other crops vital to human food security, such as rice and sorghum.
This
invasive eating machine originated in the Americas, where it was first
described in
1797, but in the last few years it has gone global. It was reported in
Africa in 2016 and has now reached China, spreading across two continents, west
to east, in just three years. Entry of the pest into this part of Asia matters
because so many people live there and in nearby regions, and there is already
huge pressure on the area's food production systems.
But there
is hope. My colleagues and I are researching ways to stop the pest that don't
rely on damaging pesticides and could be adopted around the world.
How
the fall armyworm crossed
the Atlantic from its native range in tropical and subtropical regions of the
Americas is unknown. Perhaps it was through long-distance migration of moths,
possibly blown by winds, that then laid eggs in Africa. Or perhaps it was
through trade of contaminated produce already containing eggs and hungry
caterpillars.
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