BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND IPM OF FALL ARMY WORM SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (J E SMITH): A REVIEW

Abstract

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) is an emerging polyphagous pest. Its primary food is the corn cob, which suffers significant damage with its larvae skeletonizing or “windowing” the leaves. Only the larval stage is seriously risky and small and large communities as well as researchers have used a variety of control methods A number of low-cost mitigation strategies are available and these strategies include encouraging smallholder farmers to plant crops directly after major rainstorms, using cultural methods, such as intercropping and crop rotation, and avoiding some of the ineffective insecticides. Understanding the function of natural enemies in agricultural systems requires monitoring them in the field. Chelonus insularis, Pristomerus spinator, Cotesia marginiventris, Meteorus laphygmae, Chelonus sonorensis, Orius insidiosus, Chelonus texanus, Archytas marmoratus, Elenomus remus, and Trichogramma spp. are parasitoids of S. frugiperda, Metarhizium anisopliae, Erynia radicans, Fusarium solani, Nomuraea rileyi and Beauveria bassiana are the main entomopathogenic fungi. These biocontrol agents should be promoted to manage this pest in a sustainable manner.