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- Title
Population Dynamics of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Maize Fields in Uganda.
- Authors
Ajam, Angella Lowra; Karungi, Jeninah; Ogwal, Geofrey; Adumo, Stella Aropet; Paparu, Pamela; Otim, Michael Hilary
- Abstract
Simple Summary: Fall armyworm (FAW) was first detected in Uganda in 2016 and has spread to all the maize-growing districts. Different methods have been deployed to control this pest. However, there is a limited understanding of the role of the environment and farmers' practices on the abundance of and damage by S. frugiperda in Uganda. In this study, we aimed to assess the abundance of S. frugiperda and leaf damage levels in three different districts. We explored the association between crop management practices, crop stage, and weather parameters on abundance of and damage by S. frugiperda in smallholder farmers' maize fields using a longitudinal monitoring survey in 69 farmers' fields of Kole, Kiryandongo, and Nakaseke for three seasons. The numbers of egg masses and adults were generally low. The highest numbers of adults were trapped in Kiryandongo, followed by Nakaseke, and the lowest numbers were trapped in Kole. Leaf damage and incidence of damaged plants differed in the different seasons and districts. Conservation tillage, reduced weeding frequency, increase in rainfall and high maximum temperature reduced S. frugiperda leaf damage. There was no relationship between pesticide use frequency and cropping system with S. frugiperda leaf damage. However, the influence of fertilizer use on leaf damage was contradictory across seasons and districts. Timely and vigilant scouting, proper timing of control measures, minimum tillage practices, and crop diversity should be included in integrated management for S. frugiperda. Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), commonly known as fall armyworm, was first detected in Uganda in 2016 and has spread to all the maize-growing districts. Different methods have been deployed to control this pest. However, there is a limited understanding of the role of the environment and farmers' practices on the abundance of and damage by S. frugiperda in Uganda. This study, therefore, assessed the abundance of S. frugiperda and leaf damage levels in three different districts and explored the association between agronomic practices, crop phenology, and weather parameters on S. frugiperda damage and abundance in smallholder farmers' maize fields using a longitudinal monitoring survey in 69 farmers' fields of Kole, Kiryandongo, and Nakaseke for three seasons. The numbers of egg masses and adults were generally low. The highest numbers of adults were trapped in Kiryandongo, followed by Nakaseke, and the lowest numbers were trapped in Kole. Leaf damage and incidence of damaged plants differed significantly between districts and seasons. Leaf damage and abundance of larvae varied significantly in the districts and at different growth stages. Conservation tillage, reduced weeding frequency, increased rainfall and high maximum temperatures were associated with reduced S. frugiperda damage. No significant relationship was observed between pesticide or cropping systems with S. frugiperda leaf damage. However, the influence of fertilizer use on leaf damage was contradictory across seasons and districts. Timely and vigilant scouting, proper timing of control measures, and minimum tillage practices should be included in an IPM strategy for S. frugiperda.
- Subjects
UGANDA; FALL armyworm; POPULATION dynamics; NOCTUIDAE; PLANT phenology; CROPPING systems; CORN; TILLAGE
- Publication
Insects (2075-4450), 2024, Vol 15, Issue 5, p301
- ISSN
2075-4450
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/insects15050301