Beet armyworm threat in St Elizabeth, RADA warns farmers to be vigilant

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is reporting that there is a very high risk of increased beet armyworm population in Junction and Southfield in St Elizabeth.

RADA says monitoring information of scallion fields in Junction and Southfield indicate the likelihood of an outbreak of beet armyworm if immediate action is not taken.

Farmers in these areas are strongly advised to:

* Increase field monitoring to at least twice per week (every 3 days) looking for egg sacks and young worms.

* Ensure beet armyworm pheromone traps are active in scallion fields to help in detecting changes in BAW population.

* Ensure good field sanitation, hand pick worms where practical and promptly harvest mature scallion.

* Promptly remove crop waste from the field after scallion stripping activities.

* Reduce plant stress by providing required water and nutrients to plants.

* Look out for unmanaged and abandoned fields as they encourage more pest.

* Delay scallion field expansion at this time.

* Avoid planting beet armyworm favoured hosts e.g. onions, instead rotate with crops such as pepper, pumpkin or melon.

* Safely treat very young worms with recommended insecticides.

* Utilise bug zappers where possible to kill adult moths or ‘bats’.

Farmers in the surrounding areas of New Forest, Cross Keys, New Port and Malvern in Manchester and Pedro Plains in St Elizabeth are being urged by RADA to be vigilant in monitoring beet armyworm population in their fields and implement management strategies once the threshold of one worm per five plants monitored is observed.

For further information please contact your nearest RADA office 1-888-ASK-RADA or the Research and Development Division, Plant Protection Unit (Bodles Research Station) in St Catherine.

* RADA (toll free) 1-888-ASK RADA (275-7232.

* RADA Manchester - 876-962-0479/0477.

* RADA St Elizabeth – 876-966-2285/2232/2872.

* Bodles Research Station, Plant Protection Unit (R&DD, MICAF) – 876-745-2960/745-2956.

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