New Zealand: Industry bands together to take on fall armyworm

Published 2024년 6월 24일

Tridge summary

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and sector groups in New Zealand are developing an integrated pest management approach to safeguard the maize and sweetcorn industries from fall armyworm, an invasive pest believed to have originated from Australia. This initiative will foster collaboration between MPI, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), Process Vegetables NZ, Vegetables NZ Inc, and growers, aiming to reduce production losses and enhance resilience through the development of surveillance networks, management strategies, and tools. Over the next three years, the project will focus on understanding the pest's phenology and distribution, establishing New Zealand-specific economic thresholds, and exploring long-term solutions to reduce agrichemical reliance and preserve environmental health. The initiative will be funded partly by MPI, with up to $300,000 allocated over three years, contributing to a total project cost of $630,000.

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Original content

An integrated pest management approach is being developed by the Ministry for Primary Industries and sector groups with the aim of safeguarding New Zealand’s maize and sweetcorn industries against fall armyworm. The approach will see the MPI collaborate with the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), Process Vegetables NZ, Vegetables NZ Inc and growers on management and mitigation strategies to help reduce production losses and enhance resilience to the invasive pest, Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said. “Together we’ll develop some really good tools for growers, including establishing surveillance networks on a national scale.” Fall armyworm is believed to have blown over to New Zealand from Australia after a cyclone in early 2022. After a year of battling the pest, MPI and industry partners agreed to close the response and shift the focus to long-term management of the pest by industry. The invasive pest has the potential to impact 72,490 hectares ...

Source: Farmersweekly