National Workshop on “Management of Fall Army Worm in the Scientific Production of Maize”

17-18 May 2019, Manipur

Recently, maize cultivation in the North Eastern States is under threat from a new invasive pest, native to USA, the Fall Army Worm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). The ICAR Manipur Centre for the first time reported the incidence of fall armyworm in Manipur state in the month of May, 2019.

To address the farmer’s requirement for management of Fall Army Worm and scientific package and practices for enhancement of their productivity, a two-day National Workshop on “Management of Fall Armyworm in the Scientific Production of Maize” was organised jointly by ICAR-RC-NEH Region, Manipur centre and ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR), Ludhiana, Punjab during 17-18 May, 2019.

Shri Sumant Singh, IAS, Agriculture Commissioner, Govt. of Manipur, in his address appreciated the initiative of ICAR, Manipur Centre and IIMR to bring all the stakeholders together in order to create the preparedness to tackle the menace of

Fall Army Worm at the state level.

Ms Laltanpuii Vanchhong, Director, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Manipur; Prof. K. Mamocha Singh, Registrar, CAU, Imphal; Dr. J. C. Sekhar, Principal Scientist & WNC I/C, ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad; Dr. N. Sathyanarayana, Joint Director, Directorate of Plant protection, Quarantine & Storage, Faridabad; Dr. Narendra Prakash, Director, ICAR-RC-NEH Region, Umiam; Dr. I. Meghachandra Singh, Joint Director, ICAR-RC-NEH Region, Manipur centre, Lamphelpat and Dr. S. L. Jat, Coordinator IIMR-NEH Maize programme also attended the programe.

Dignitaries highlighted the threat posed by this invasive pest and called for designing effective strategies to manage this pest so that farmers could realise high economic returns from the cultivation of crops. Importance of use of bio-pesticides and natural enemies in the control of Fall Army Worm was emphasized.

Detailed technical sessions and Farmers’ Scientists’ interaction were also organised with emphasis on management of Fall Army Worm menace in the State and ways to protect the crops from it.

Around 170 farmers, 140 officials from line departments and 60 Scientists and Subject Matter Specialist of ICAR participated in the workshop.

(Source: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya)