OPA Team sprayed Army Worms attack corn plantation in towns

The Quick Response Infestation Team from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in the Provincial
Government of Bohol (PGBh) immediately took actions to prevent the spread of Fall Army Worms (FAW) attacking
the whirling or vegetative stage of corn plantation in the 11 known corn growing municipalities in Bohol.

According to Leon Parac, Jr., Provincial Corn Coordinator in Bohol, the team led by Joseph Roy Dando sprayed
the FAW using the insecticides from Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC)-7 the worms attacking the corn areas
in Trinidad last Tuesday and 50 hectares (has.) of corn areas in Danao last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Parac said that next week the team will go to the town of Dagohoy whose corn areas also badly damage by 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.

Other towns whose corn plantation have been attacked by army worms are: Getafe, Sierra-Bullones, Carmen,
San Miguel, Dimiao, Valencia, Mabini, and Talibon.

The Provincial Corn Coordinator in the province said that there are no reports from the team on additional areas
that have been infested aside from the earlier reported 325 has. last the other week.

Parac explained that in case the RCPC-7 will encounter the shortage of chemical supplies, the team will force to
ask the owner of the corn farm to purchase such chemicals for them to continue the spraying of the dreaded worms
to crops.

He said the corn areas have been attacked by FAW are those corn planted on the last part of May and the month
of June, 2024 with different varieties such as: Open Pollinated Variety (OPA), University of Southern Mindanao
(USM) 35 Variety who are susceptible or unresistant to pests and diseases not like with the Genetically Modified
Organism (GMO) corn who can resist the FAW, corn borer and other pests and corn diseases.

However, Bohol has an existing ordinance strictly prohibiting the entry of GMO corn in the province that
imposes stiff penalty to the violators, Parac concluded.

In Bohol, corn is next to rice as staple crop which has 4.3 kilograms (kgs.) per capita consumption of 1.4M
Boholanos lying at a great distance from rice who has 115 kgs. per capita consumption. By Atoy Cosap