Grain Producers Australia offers the following information on fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Australia. There has been a confirmed diagnosis of FAW in north-west Queensland. Detections have also been confirmed in Torres Strait and Bamaga on Cape York.
Impact It is still unknown how FAW will behave in the Australian environment. As with managing most pests and diseases, crop monitoring will remain an important part of understanding, monitoring and managing the impact of FAW in Australia. The incursion of an exotic pest, with recent examples like Russian Wheat Aphid (RWA), it is difficult to assess how the pest will behave in the Australian environment and ecosystem. Extrapolating overseas information for Australian context is difficult, particularly with different production systems and environment.
Australia’s conditions are favourable for this pest to establish and spread, including our climate and access to suitable hosts. It is most likely found in warm, moist regions with little forest cover or hitchhiking on fresh vegetables or fruit...
Further information: Barry Large, Deputy Chairman, Grain Producers Australia. Tel: 0427 549 023
Image credit: ABC
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