Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Government has started distributing pesticides to A1 and communal farmers in Matabeleland North to kill the fall armyworm.
The pest’s presence has since been reported in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South and the Midlands provinces.
Matabeleland North provincial Agritex officer Mr Dumisani Nyoni said Government was offering assistance to A1 and communal farmers.
“Government has started distributing the Carbaryl 85 Wettable Powder to farmers. So far it is giving the A1 and communal farmers while commercial farmers and others are advised to buy the pesticides,” he said.
“We advise farmers to consult Agritex officers on what exactly to buy as many are reportedly buying the wrong pesticides. Cases have been recorded of farmers requesting pesticides for stalk borer instead of that for fall armyworm. These are two different pests demanding different pesticides.”
Mr Nyoni said they would continue to train farmers to deal with pests.
“The fall army worm is more dangerous than the army worm. It’s difficult and expensive to contain if left to multiply. Pesticides have to be applied early to kill the worms and if quickly and well applied, crops are bound to recover,” he said.
Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Department of Plant Protection and Research Institute chief entomologist, Dr Godfrey Chikwenhere, said the pest had 12 cycles and could continue recurring after the first spray.
He urged farmers to continue scouting the crop even after spraying. Dr Chikwenhere said the fall armyworm should be controlled during the early days of its life to reduce the rate of reccurrence.
He said if left to grow, it would require more chemicals to control and could also become resistant to chemicals.
—@winnie_masara.