Army worms invasion | News, Tanzania

News Army worms invasion - from 08.06.2006, 18:13 Simba
Army worms invasion controlled Army worms had by March devoured 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) of crops in Kiteto, in the Simanjiro District of Manyara Region. Source:: Daily News Story by: ISAYA LWECHUNGURA Date: 07.06.2006 ARMY WORMS attack cases on the country's food crop fields had been on the news lately, threatening Tanzanian's improved food security. Fortunately army worms invasion appears now to be controlled. Staff Writer ISAYA LWECHUNGURA looks at the recent army worm invasion situation and a number of interventions made to ensure a stabilized food security. ARMY WORMS recently devoured thousands of acres of crops and pasture in he the country, with government confirming the invasion had affected 45,000 hectares (112,500 acres) of maize, rice and wheat in more than 10 regions. The invasion unfolded at a time when dry spells was already raging sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, leaving its population without enough food to eat. Observers in Tanzania revealed then that the army worm invasion in Africa, including Tanzania had threatened to reach crisis level. Army worms had started destroying maize and other crops in northern and southeastern Tanzania and the National Army Worms Forecasting Services Centre Coordinators then (in March) said : "the situation is extremely grave, ", citing that 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) of crops had already been lost in Kiteto, in the Simanjiro District of Manyara Region. The army worms had also been observed in urban and rural Iringa as well as the districts of Mufindi and Kilolo in the south of the country. The Managing Director of Tanseed International (a private seed and farming enterprise), Isaka Mashauri, said the worms had also destroyed 50 acres (20 ha) of his farm in Kilosa District in the southwestern region of Morogoro. An official of the Msimba Seed Farm in the same area said he had lost about 140 acres (56 ha). A farmer can usually produce about 15 bags of maize per acre. Earlier in February the forecasting services centre warned the public to take precautions, in the wake of the anticipated invasion by the worms in 10 of the country's 25 regions. The centre said the regions most prone to the worm attack this year were Dodoma, Iringa, Lindi, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Singida and Tabora. The worms, scientifically known as Spodoptera exempata, devour all green plants in their path and breed fast making them difficult to control. This worm invasion comes on the back of a drought in East Africa that has already worsened Tanzania's food security situation. Prime Minister Edward Lowassa then announced that the country needed about 100,000 tonnes of food up to April, to salvage the food situation in the drought-stricken areas. A document on the African army worm compiled by the Regional Army Worm Programme of Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa says that different insecticides, in a variety of formulations, could be used effectively against worms. The choice of insecticide varies with the extent of the outbreak. While DDT is still used in the control of army worm outbreaks in some countries in East Africa, there is worldwide concern that it contaminates the environment. Army worm forecasts are based on information from a number of sources, the most important being networks of light and pheromone traps distributed over Eastern Africa and operated nightly under the supervision of trap operators. Various other factors are taken into account such as the incidence and extent of recent outbreaks of larvae and the current weather conditions, particularly the winds which influence the direction of moth migration. The young larvae at first eat the upper and lower surface tissue of the leaves. As the larvae become older and increase in size, they are able to bite through the entire leaf, starting from the edges and usually eating all but the midrib. Heavy infestation results in total loss of leaves often leading to severe crop loss or necessitating replanting. Last time Tanzania experienced an army worm attack was in 1996, when thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed. The latest outbreak prompted US government, through USAID to come to the rescue, making available some US$ 50,000 (Tsh. 55 million) towards the army worm emergency response. The funds have been used to buy various pesticides and gear to be used in the exercise. This intervention was part of government efforts to contain the dangers posed by the army worm invasion. President Jakaya Kikwete was in the forefront in the war against the invasion. He wasted little time to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Cooperatives and Food Security, Mr Joseph Mungai, to make sure that not a single Tanzanian would die out of hunger. By then food shortage assessment in the country showed that a total of up to 3,764,843 people were already affected by food shortage and that they needed some 99,976 tonnes to offset the deficit of supplies up to April this year. It occurred that if not checked, the invasion of army worms would have catastrophic effects. This is exactly why the US and a number of international donor institutions had rushed in to support the government and contributed 4,480,000 US dollars to buy seeds and support army worms control measures. About 311 metric tonnes of various cereal seeds was raised in some 24 districts for planting during long rains that started in March and a further 1,337 metric tonnes distributed to some 50 districts for planting during the short rains in November. Likewise, donor support also catered for the distribution of 17,000 litres of pesticides, sprayers and a set of protective gears are yet to be purchased and distributed to the Northern regions' districts. Farmers were initially reportedly furious that there had been 'slowness' in working on experts' early warnings about the army worm alarm, first raised in early February by the Tengeru-based National Army worm Forecasting Services (AFS) Centre. Scientists had warned of the looming army worms threat pointing out that, billions of army worms were then set to invade the Northern zone and the invasion was to take place at the beginning of the long rainy season, then likely in March 2006. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives Permanent Secretary Peniel Lyimo said his ministry had since distributed freely a total 36,718 litres of pesticides to some 16 regions, as between July 2005 and February 2006, to all parts of the country that were earlier forecasted for army worm threats." Mr Lyimo reiterated that his ministry had seriously been in a state of alert anticipating the 2005 / 2006 army worm invasion as rightly forecasted by the Tengeru-based National Coordinating Pests Control and Forecasting Centre. Experts in the field say that usually the deadly migratory pests which are quite similar to locusts have the tendency of following the rain trend and for some three months the destructive moths were reported to have been moving northwards from southern African countries. After crossing into Tanzania, they caused mass destruction of crops in the south, where they also bred into billions, before recently moving to the North. An expert view in a document on the African army worm compiled by the Regional Army Worm Programme of Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa says that different insecticides, in a variety of formulations, could be used effectively against worms. The choice of insecticide varies with the extent of the outbreak. While DDT is still used in the control of army worm outbreaks in some countries in East Africa, there is worldwide concern that it contaminates the environment. Despite the fact that compounds such as dieldrin and endrin has been effective against the worm, they are highly discouraged following their high mammalian toxicity and cypermethrin is currently preferred for its being safe, fast and effective in army worm control. Forecasting services observe that in Eastern Africa where frequent outbreaks of the worm often erupt, larval densities are reportedly often in excess of 1,000 per square metre and may cover tens or even hundreds of square kilometres. Pests Specialist from Sokoine University of Agriculture who preferred anonymity narrated that from common experience, young larvae would at first eat the upper and lower surface tissue of the leaves and then extend further to biting and eating the entire leaf except to the midrib in relation to their increase in size. Heavy infestation results in total loss of leaves often leading to severe crop loss or necessitating replanting.

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