Sustainable Management of Invasive Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

The fall armyworm of maize, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae) is capable of causing a 100% yield loss due to its unforeseen occurrence from the seedling to the cob formation stage. To manage this serious pest, maize growers are tending to apply a high dosage of pesticides. This indiscriminate usage of pesticides has resulted in an unacceptable amount of insect resurgence in maize, harming maize production and consumption. In this review, we prepared a list of practical pest management options, including host plant resistance, agronomical, cultural, biological, botanical, chemical, and biotechnology approaches. It was found that cultivation of tolerant genotypes, adjusting sowing windows, and practicing specific intercultural and cropping systems measures in addition to chemical and non-chemical pest management strategies showed encouraging results for sustainable management of fall armyworm, which could protect the crop. This review highlights novel and successful management options advocated in various parts of the world. Recommendations documented in this paper would certainly pave the way for successful management of fall armyworm in maize and other concerned crops

Sustainable Management of Invasive Fall Armyworm, <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>

The fall armyworm of maize, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae) is capable of causing a 100% yield loss due to its unforeseen occurrence from the seedling to the cob formation stage. To manage this serious pest, maize growers are tending to apply a high dosage of pesticides. This indiscriminate usage of pesticides has resulted in an unacceptable amount of insect resurgence in maize, harming maize production and consumption. In this review, we prepared a list of practical pest management options, including host plant resistance, agronomical, cultural, biological, botanical, chemical, and biotechnology approaches. It was found that cultivation of tolerant genotypes, adjusting sowing windows, and practicing specific intercultural and cropping systems measures in addition to chemical and non-chemical pest management strategies showed encouraging results for sustainable management of fall armyworm, which could protect the crop. This review highlights novel and successful management options advocated in various parts of the world. Recommendations documented in this paper would certainly pave the way for successful management of fall armyworm in maize and other concerned crops

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Not AvailableIntegrated farming systems (IFS) entail a holistic approach to farming aimed at meeting the multiple demands (impart farm resilience, farmer livelihoods, food security, ecosystem services, and making farms adaptive and resilient, etc.). IFS are characterized by temporal and spatial mixing of crops, livestock, fishery, and allied activities in a single farm. It is hypothesized that these complex farms are more productive at a system level, are less vulnerable to volatility, and produce less negative externalities than simplified farms. Thereby, they cater the needs of small and marginal farmers, who are the backbone of agriculture in India. Our review of literature shows that IFS have the potential to improve farm profitability (265%) and employment (143%) compared to single enterprise farms. The literature showed that IFS enhance nutrient recycling through composting, mulching, and residue incorporation and, as a consequence, have the capacity to reduce the external purchase of inputs. The nutrient recycling in turn helps to increase the soil quality indicators such as soil nutrient availability and also improves soil microbial activity. The IFS play a major role in biodiversity conservation through adoption of diversified cropping system and through integration of indigenous livestock breeds. IFS also played important role in improving soil organic carbon from 0.75 to 0.82%. Due to increased carbon sequestration, biomass production by trees, reduced consumption of fertilizers, and pesticides the greenhouse gas emission could be reduced significantly. This results in a linked system making it sustainable and climate- resilient. The main challenge associated with adoption of IFS is it requires skill, knowledge, resources, labor, and capital which are not always available with small and marginal farmers. There is a need for integrating productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability variables in a single evaluation framework to effectively generate information toward enhancing adaptability of IFS.Not Availabl