Sena Caterpillar – Why Entomologists from Ruwanda?

Dr. C. S. Weeraratna (csweera@sltnet.lk)

The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), also called Sena caterpillar (SC) is larval stage of a moth that is causing damage to economically important cultivated cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum,vegetables, etc. In 2018, maize crops cultivated in some parts of the country were affected by this caterpillar causing hardships to a large number of maize farmers. Sri Lanka was targeting to grow around 112,000 hectares of maize during the current Maha 2020/2021 cropping season but currently SC is reported in eight provinces in the country causing considerable hardships to farmers who raised money to cultivate maize and other crops by pawning their wive’s jewellery, etc. With this situation the targeting to grow 112,000 ha of maize cannot be achieved.

SC is a dangerous transboundary insect with a high potential to spread rapidly due to its natural distribution capacity and it is a real threat to food security and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. In Jan. 2019, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) noted that SC has been reported in all major maize growing areas in Sri Lanka and is also affecting sugarcane cultivation. There is a growing concern that it may affect other crops, including rice. In April 2019, FAO reported that the breakout of SC in Sri Lanka caused panic amongst agricultural communities in many parts of the island. However, the Principal Technical Coordinator Allan Hruska of the Plant Production and Protection Division of (FAO) said there’s no need to panic, and was of the opinion that what is necessary is to make farmers understand that SC is here to stay, and for the Agriculture Ministry to implement appropriate control practices.

There are many methods to control SC. Among these are use of biopesticdes, pheromones and parastoids. Biopesticides such as those based on the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), have proven to be effective in the control of SC. Pheromones which are compounds non-toxic to animals and plants were used in Bangladesh to control SC. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has supplied thousands of pheromone traps to farmers in Bangladesh to support them in the battle against SC. .Biological control of SC using parasitoid species, which are natural enemies of SC has been demonstrated to be an effective, cost-efficient and safe method for management of the pest. In the 1970s Coconut caterpillar affected a large extent of coconut in the country and in 2006/7 sugarcane wooly aphid was a serious pest. Both pests were successfully controlled using Parasitoids. The use of local botanicals such as neem (kohomba) is widely known as an insecticide and may be used to control SC.

Unfortunately the Dept. of Agriculture appears to have not taken appropriate measures during the last two years to control SC indicated by its rapid spread in eight provinces of the country during the last few months. When thousands of hectares under maize are affected by SC causing considerable hardships to farmers, authorities brought some “entomologists (?)’ from Ruwanda to advice Sri Lanka government on control of SC. The authorities appear to be unaware that in Sri Lanka there are many qualified Entomologists who could have advised on control of SC. What a shame.