Story by Gay Matambo
GOVERNMENT has been hailed for timeously dispatching essential chemicals to safeguard crops against the African armyworm, which has affected several districts in the country, including Chiredzi.
Farmers in Chiredzi, who include Mr Lawrence Mazanhi of Farm 37 in Hippo Valley, say they can now breathe a sigh of relief following the containment of the African armyworm, whose outbreak recently saw more than 700 hectares of maize and sorghum being affected in the district.
“Last month, we woke up, and our sorghum fields were badly infested by the African armyworm. They were crossing from the pastures and getting into the fields. We immediately alerted the Agritex District Officer, and we got chemicals to spray. We almost lost everything to the African armyworm, but the outbreak was contained.
“The worms attacked the crops that we had planted late this year which were at vegetative stage and within a short period, the African armyworm almost destroyed the whole field but within three days. The African armyworm was controlled at the right time, and as you can see, our crops are doing well. We hope to have a good harvest,” Mr Mazanhi said.
Vigilance and early intervention with the right chemicals have been cited as crucial in controlling the pest.
“We encouraged our farmers to scout and identify the worm and its threshold. They would then collect chemicals either at the Grain Marketing or Chiredzi research station. The farmers used carbaryl spray and the chemicals were very effective in controlling the worm. We are encouraging them to continue scouting. We noticed that the African armyworm thrives in humid conditions. We are also encouraging sugarcane out-growers to scout for this destructive worm,” Ward 31 Agritex extension officer Ms Eveline Muzovaka said.
The Agritex Officer for Chiredzi District, Mr Tongai Bodi confirmed that more chemicals are being distributed to farmers across the district to combat the infestation.
“We are encouraging farmers to keep on scouting their fields and pastures so that they can easily identify this pest and report to the nearest agriculture extension officer in their wards. We are hoping that the early planted crop is safe now and the late planted crop is at risk so our farmers should get in their fields early in the morning and late in the evening to scout and check if the worm is there. We have enough chemicals to cover close to 35 000 hectares for the district, and we encourage even farmers in the sugarcane growing areas to come and collect the chemical if they notice the African armyworm in their fields,” he said.
The African armyworm is also affecting neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.
