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U/E: Scientists Adopt Measures to Combat Fall Armyworm Invasion

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U/E: Scientist Adopt Measures to Combat Fall Armyworm Invasion

Upper East regional director of Agriculture, Reverend John Manu has confirmed that the region has recorded its share of the fall armyworm invasion in the country.

According to him more than 1,000 hectares of farmland belonging to about 900 farmers were affected whiles about 200 farmlands which could not have been recovered were destroyed.

The invasion of the pest in the region which causes damage to crops mainly maize is not only a threat to food security but could worsen the poverty level of people in the region.

According to the regional director of Agric although the situation is under control, Bawku West, Pusiga and Garu districts respectively are the seriously affected districts in the region. Reverend Manu added that some farmers have been given free chemicals to curb the menace.

As part of measures to assist government’s efforts at fighting the pest, researchers of the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) based in Manga in the Upper East region have adopted measures of detecting early warning signals of the pest invasion.

The method which is designed and placed at vantage points using a trap to attract the pest and kills it aids the researchers to sample and provide early warning signals to agricultural officials to help curb possible outbreaks.

Leader of the research team, Dr. Francis Kusi during a day’s sensitization forum for farmers and agricultural extension workers in Binduri district urged farmers to be on the lookout for the pest and report it for an effective control.

“For instance through this training we’ve been able to show them how they can be able to identify the adult fall armyworm so that if the control should start, it can start from there. We are also showing them then egg masks and where they are usually deposited, look out for this ones, control them before they are hatch out to cause the destruction reported in other areas.”

The public private partner awareness creation exercise was supported by the 2016 national best farmer, Ariku Martin Akudugu who brought together and refreshed the about 100 farmers in the district. Mr. Ariku whose farm was also affected in an interview was optimistic his contribution will help government end the fall armyworm invasion.

“In that capacity as the national best farmer I think that I also have to contribute to the development of my community and agriculture as a whole for Ghana that is why I became so happy when I heard the information I also call on my out growers to come.”

By: Joshua Asaah|A1radioonline.com|Ghana  


 

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