The Fall Armyworm, a mottled grey moth, is native to Central and South America. Now, it has become an unprecedented global scourge one of the world’s most destructive pests, undermining food security in more than 80 countries. New studies from Australia have shown the promise of fungi as a biological control strategy to combat this harmful invasive species.
The Fall Armyworm has been widely known for its capabilities of quick long-distance migration and adaptability. It can produce 1,000 to 2,000 eggs over its lifetime, making its population grow very quickly. The Fall Armyworm established an extraordinary distance record with a single flight exceeding 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), from Mississippi to southern Ontario, Canada. It did all that amazing travel in under 30 hours! This incredible capacity for long distance migration has driven its rapid expansion and development into a global pest that threatens agricultural management everywhere.
Down under, scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have an objective. To do this, they are looking to innovative solutions to address this pest. In the second study, researchers discovered five distinct forms of fungi. Here’s why these fungi are capable of killing Fall Armyworms in as little as 24 hours. This discovery provides a new mechanism for producing a better biological control agent. Imagine that we could join them in dwindling the need for chemical pesticides by half.
Wee Tek Tay, a biologist at CSIRO, called the implications of these findings “huge.”
“The use of biological control agents … can be very effective,” – Wee Tek Tay, CSIRO.
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) scientists are working round the clock with CSIRO scientists. To do this, they’d like to have the fungus N. rileyi approved for sale, as a low-impact pest control measure that’s highly specific to caterpillars. If successful, this could give farmers a more environmentally friendly and safer method of fighting the Fall Armyworm.
Furthermore, the Fall Armyworm has rapidly developed insecticide resistance so that pesticides as a pest control strategy are increasingly ineffective. As it threatens to destroy crops globally — from bananas to cassava — researchers are under the gun to come up with viable alternatives. While the innovations they’ve developed clearly have an impact on agricultural use, the implications of their work go much farther — food security for millions depends on successfully managing this pest!
Olivia, a New York City-based multimedia freelance journalist, has traveled the world as an international reporter, and has reported on agricultural topics in China, Cuba and Nepal. She has lived and worked in the U.K., Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. This experience provided her with first-hand insight into the myriad challenges that farmers face across the globe. Olivia’s background in research and science communication positions her well to report on developments in pest management and agricultural practices.
As the research progresses, farmers and agricultural stakeholders eagerly await results that could lead to an effective biological control strategy. Fungi are the most effective pathogenic agents to focus on Fall Armyworms. This creative method is one promising way to further protect against the damaging threats this invasive pesky poses.
