Fall Army Worm attacks planted corn in Bohol
Some 325 hectares (has.) of corn areas in the different towns of Bohol have been damaged after being attacked
by Fall Army Worm (FAW).
Based on the reported data from the Municipal Agriculture Offices received by the Office of the Provincial
Agriculturist (OPA), there are 11 municipalities whose corn areas have been affected with FAW to wit: Getafe,
Dagohoy, Trinidad, Sierra-Bullones, Carmen, San Miguel, Dimiao, Valencia, Mabini, Danao, and Talibon.
The province of Bohol has 817.81 has. of planted corn areas this planting season scattered in the 43 known corn
municipalities namely: Alicia, Anda, Anteguera, Baclayon, Balilihan, Batuan, Bien Unido, Bilar, Buenavista,
Calape, Candijay, Carmen, Catigbian, Clarin, Corella, Cortes, Dagohoy, Danao, Dauis, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia
Hernandez, Getafe, Guindulman, Inabanga, Jagna, Loboc, Loon, Mabini, Maribojoc, Pilar, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia,
Sagbayan, San Isidro,Sam Miguel, Sevilla, Sierra-Bullones, Sikatuna, Panglao, Talibon, Trinidad, Ubay and
Valencia.
According to Leon Parac, Jr., Provincial Corn Coordinator that the pest attacked the whirling or vegetative stage
of planted corn and the extent of the damages to the existing standing crops of corn would be wider if the FAW
Quick Response Infestation Team could completely submit their reports.
Acting Head-OPA Larry M. Pamugas immediately created the team after receiving reports from the Municipal
Agriculturists/Municipal Agricultural Officers (MAs/MAOs the presence of FAW in their respective corn farms in
order to prevent or minimize the impact and extent of damage infestation to the existing corn areas in the province.
The members of the team who are all employees of OPA are designated to address with the following functions
to wit: coordinate the Regional Crop Protection Center for their possible intervention and technical support; conduct
extensive monitoring to the existing crops of corn; coordinate with the office of the MA for possible control of FAW
through any means on the assessment of the team; and submit daily report to Pamugas for the daily activities of the
team.
Fall Army Worm is a global invasive pest which can feed on more than 350 plant species including corn, rice
sorghum, sugarcane, and vegetable crops by feeding on leaves, fruits and grains causing significant yield loss if not
well managed.
The FAW can damage a seedling by chewing through its stem. It also defoliates corn leaves, damages the corn
tassel and corn ear cobs.
The Crop Pest Management Division (CPMD) of the Bureau of Plant Industry said the FAW infestation can be
suppressed through physical and cultural method (handpicking, destroying egg masses and larvae), biological
control (use of attractants and pheromones, use of parasite, parasitoids, predators and entomopathogens), chemical
control (botanical pesticides, inorganic pesticides).
Spray some botanical insecticides to manage the FAW infestation and apply insecticides approved by Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) only when needed based on economic threshold, according to CPMD. By Atoy Cosap