SOA Students Locate Harmful Pest In Agricultural Farm

Bhubaneswar: Students of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS) and faculty of agricultural sciences of SOA (Deemed to be University) spotted Spodoptera frugiperda, a harmful insect, in the institution’s instructional farm here recently.

The insect, which has the potential to destroy over 80 varieties of crops, was found in Karnataka in May this year and identified by the ICAR-run National Bureau of Agricultural  Insect Resources, Bengaluru.

According to IAS Entomology Prof Bijoy Kumar Mishra, the pest, the larva of the insect known as ‘fall armyworm moth’ flies long distances.

Students had first spotted the pest in the instructional farm of IAS, which was subsequently confirmed to be Spodoptera frugiperda, he said.

It particularly destroys maize and sugarcane crops and had already been reported from several states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka and West Bengal. It was first found in Africa in 2016 and had since found its way to the Asian countries, Prof Mishra said.

“The farmers should remain alert against this pest and the administration take preventive measures to control its spread. Effective steps could be initiated to control this menace,” he added.