According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, a pest that can infect and damage or destroy fields of corn and other crops overnight, migrates throughout Asia. An autumn army worm has reached Indonesia and farmers are gathering forces to confront the pest.

The so-called autumn army worm was first discovered in Indonesia in West Sumatra in March this year.

Within 4 months, this pest spread to 12 provinces of Indonesia in Sumatra, Java and in parts of Kalimantan. The Ministry of Agriculture collects information on the loss of crops infected and damaged by this organism.

Autumn army worm native to America. However, since 2016, it has been aggressively moving east, spanning all of Africa. For the first time in Asia in mid-2018, he went on land in India. By January of this year, the worm had spread to Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand before arriving in Indonesia.

Army Worm

“We are closely monitoring the movement of the pest in Indonesia. Our extension specialists worked locally to advise farmers on how to protect the crops and reduce the damage caused by this attack. We expect an army worm attack to infect corn fields throughout Indonesia in the coming months, ”said Plant Protection Director Edie Purnawan.

There are many natural enemies of this pest in Indonesia, and farmers can attract these animals to their fields, reducing the number of infections. A study from Ethiopia showed that one wasp parasite killed almost half of the pest population within 2 years after the confirmed arrival of a parasitic worm in the country.

The use of chemical pesticides must be very carefully considered. It should be borne in mind that the caterpillars of the pests are protected from spray, because they hide deep in the foliage of crops. Also, such pesticides can have a negative effect on the natural enemies of the worm and the health of farmers.