Biotech Updates

Global Research Alliance to Fight Fall Armyworm

October 31, 2018

First detected in Africa in 2016, the invasive Fall Armyworm has extended its insatiable appetite to other crops aside from maize, including sorghum and millet. The pest continues to threaten billions of dollars in annual damage to African food staples.

As part of a global effort to roll out a sustainable integrated Fall Armyworm management program adapted to the African context, 35 organizations have united in a global coalition of research for development partners. The new consortium focuses on developing a shared vision of how farmers should fight against this pest.

The new Fall Armyworm R4D International Consortium will develop and implement a unified plan to fight this plant pest on the ground. The consortium joins other global efforts and coordinates with international bodies working against this pest, and will be co-led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

For more details, read the news release from CIMMYT.