Occurrence, Distribution, Damage Potential, and Farmers’ Perception on Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith): Evidence from the Eastern Himalayan Region

Satyapriya Singh (), Mahadevan Raghuraman, Manikyanahalli Chandrashekara Keerthi, Anup Das, Saswat Kumar Kar, Biswajit Das, Hidangmayum Lembisana Devi, Sunil Kumar Sunani, Manas Ranjan Sahoo, Ryan Casini, Hosam O. Elansary () and Gobinda Chandra Acharya
Additional contact information
Satyapriya Singh: Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar 751019, India
Mahadevan Raghuraman: Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
Manikyanahalli Chandrashekara Keerthi: Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Anup Das: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Lembucherra 799210, India
Saswat Kumar Kar: ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun 248195, India
Biswajit Das: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Lembucherra 799210, India
Hidangmayum Lembisana Devi: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Lembucherra 799210, India
Sunil Kumar Sunani: ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulse Research (RS), Bhubaneswar 752055, India
Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar 751019, India
Ryan Casini: School of Public Health, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Hosam O. Elansary: Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Gobinda Chandra Acharya: Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar 751019, India

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a polyphagous non-native pest identified as a serious threat to crop production and food security globally, including in India. Its unintentional introduction and quick coverage in large areas is a serious concern to millions of farmers in the eastern Himalayan region. However, detailed understanding of farmers’ perceptions and the biological attributes associated with the meteorological factors for FAW is limited. The present investigation, which aimed to create baseline data on this pest, concurs with the idea that the FAW is widely dispersed throughout the maize ecosystems of Tripura, with an average infestation rate of 21.33 percent. The severity ranged from 0 to 1.40, with an average leaf damage score of 1 on a 0–4 categorical scale. The findings indicate that pheromone trap catch was significantly correlated with the evaporation rate as other meteorological factors influenced variably. The biological attributes imply that the life cycle was completed in 32.82 ± 0.08 days, with a high fecundity potential (1068.57 ± 4.35 numbers) in controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH). Indigenous natural enemies, such as entomopathogens, spiders, and wasps, were found to be the first defence against this invasive pest. A minority of the population (17.51%) was aware of the incidence of FAW. Furthermore, respondents’ socio-demographic variables were associated significantly with FAW status. This is the first scientific report from the eastern Himalayan region about farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the invasiveness of FAW. This finding enumerates a detailed understanding of FAW from diverse perspectives. Further, the concerted data provide an important baseline that could help the development of holistic management strategies for FAW.

Keywords: Spodoptera frugiperda; natural enemies; socio-demographic factors; maize; eco-friendly approach; trap collection; eastern Himalayan region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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