Destructive corn pest controlled

In Battambang, a new species of Fall Amyworm is destroying corn crops. Ministry of Agriculture

An official from the Battambang provincial agricultural department said that the Fall Amyworm that destroys corn farms has been controlled by agriculture officials.

Battambang provincial agriculture department director, Chhim Vichara said more than 1,000 hectares of corn farms in Battambang’s Phnom Proek; Kamrieng and Sampov Loun districts, have been attacked by the pest but they are protected now.

“Last week’s rain on the three provincial districts followed by dry weather caused favorable conditions for Fall Amyworm,” Vichara added.

“Now, we have protected the farmer’s maize farm from the worm. We have collaborated with expert officials from the Ministry of Agriculture’s General Directorate of Agriculture to destroy the pest,” he said.

He added that local and provincial agriculture officers are also guiding and teaching the farmers how to prevent the Fall Amyworm. He said that if there is a serious impact, the agriculture officials allow farmers to use pesticides to destroy the worm such as Emamectin benzoat, Indoxacarb, Chloratraniliprol, Flubendiamide and Spinetoram.

The Fall Amyworm has attacked 500 hectares of corn farmland in Phnom Proek district, 200 hectares of corn farmland in Sampov Loun district, and 600 hectares of corn farmland in Kamrieng district, according to officials.

The sanitary and phyto-sanitary officers asked the farmers to clear the grass around the corn farm, use traps to reduce the numbers of the creatures and if under strong attack, the officers allow the farmers to use the pesticides.

Pang Vannaseth, director of the Agriculture Department in Banteay Meanchey province, said his province has not seen any Fall Amyworm attacking the farmer’s corn farms yet.

He added that among the total of 11,100 hectares of corn farmland in his province, only 300 hectarea were planted with corn recently because the rain has just started. “Our farmers here started to grow corn late because we were waiting for the rain,” he added.

Vannaseth added that he knew the Fall Amyworm attacked corn farms in Battambang province. However, he and his officials have already disseminated information to farmers on how to fight the insect.

“The Fall Amyworm can destroy our crops if we are not careful or lack any preventive measures,” Vannaseth added. He said the worm was also found in Laos. Khmer Times