PEST OUTBREAK
Crop infestation suspected to be armyworms
Countries with confirmed outbreaks can face import bans because the armyworm is classified as a quarantine pest
A larvae outbreak that has damaged maize in Limpopo and North West is "strongly suspected" to be the invasive armyworm that has attacked crops in neighbouring countries, a scientist said on Monday. The infestation of fall armyworms — an invasive Central American species that is harder to detect and eradicate than its African counterpart — has erupted in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi and follows a crippling El Nino-triggered drought that scorched much of the region in 2016. Countries with confirmed outbreaks can face import bans on their agricultural products because the armyworm is classified as a quarantine pest. Johnnie van den Berg, an entomologist at the North West University who has collected samples from affected farms, said taxonomic tests were being done for confirmation. "It needs to be identified by a taxonomist, but we strongly suspect it is the fall armyworm. Visually, it looks 100% the same," he said in a phone interview. "It may be confirmed by the end of this week." Van...
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