Fall Armyworm attack: 'Eastern India more vulnerable to infestation'

Warmer temperatures increase the metabolism and reproductive rates of the pest

Chilli under attack: New thrips species destroys farms in 6 states

Farmers are being pushed to suicide amid market shortage  

Of pests and climate change

The locust attack in western India is not just another local phenomoenon. Eventually, it traces back to climate change

Climate mapping can point to danger spots where new pest threatens Africa’s cycads

Cycads, the world’s oldest seed-producing plants, are facing extinction. Africa is home to a variety of cycad species 

Locust attack: Global swarming

The increase in frequency of climate change-triggered events, like cyclones, has resulted in extended and multiple breeding seasons of locusts …

Fall Armyworm attack: Low maize yield reduces cattle feed

While farmers say their cereal production has dropped to half, officials claim the pest’s effect on the state is minimal

Fall Armyworm attack: Dependence on maize hits Telangana farmers hard

Monocropping maize prepared a ground for the pest attack in the state

Why India is vulnerable to attacks by alien species

The country has faced at least 10 major invasive pest and weed attacks in the past 15 years, with most recent being the fall armyworm that …

Fall Armyworm attack: Deadliest pest epidemic grips India

In nine months, the pest has spread to 10 Indian states causing widespread crop damage

Birds impacting agricultural crops a major concern

Many avian species damage crops during sowing, seedling and ripening stages, leading to economic losses to farmers 

Fall Armyworm attack: Rwanda fights it back successfully

The country couldn’t predict the pest attack owing to few resources, but it successfully minimised its impact within a year of identifying it

Are GM crops a real solution to pest attacks in Africa?

Adoption of GM crops is widely cited as a solution to combat pest resistance, but if recent developments are considered, the answer is not that simple

Pest attacks on rise across India, yet no discussion on spurious pesticides

As allegedly fake pesticides prove ineffective in controlling pests, farmers resort to indiscriminate spraying

Journey of the Fall Armyworm

Fall Armyworm has infested crops in over 50 countries across two continents in just over two years

Fall Armyworm attack: Odisha braces itself for the pest

After its attack last year, the state agriculture department issued advisories to all districts and distributed leaflets listing preventive and …

Lessons on how to effectively tackle insect invasions

There are alternatives to pesticides including integrated pest management. This is an approach that doesn’t rule out the use of pesticides, …

Fall Armyworm attack: Maharashtra grappling with the chaos

While the deadly pest has infested close to 15 districts of Maharashtra, many farmers lack any knowledge about it

FAW attack: Centre orders seed treatment with ‘unapproved’ chemicals

The government has recommended use of controversial chemicals for treatment of seeds without prior permission from the Central Insecticide Board …

Alien pest invades farmlands in Africa, destroys crops in more than 10 countries

Unlike the native pest, the fall armyworm from the Americas is harder to detect and eradicate

How scientists contained a deadly tomato pest that travelled across the world

Though tomato is the primary host, Tuta absoluta attacks other vegetable crops as well. If not properly managed, the leaf-miner can cause 100 per …

Rajasthan Locust Attack: Both state, Centre need to shed complacency

Between 1993 and 2020, the governments hardly invested in locust control departments

Crops failing against rising temperatures, pest attacks: Study

Rising temperatures due to climate change may be compounding the stress on crops in multiple ways, it says

Tracking locust attack: Jaipur firemen go the extra mile to resist invasion

Officials destroy huge swarm of locusts that had taken residence at Mahar Kalan in Karanpur village

After an erratic monsoon, farmers in nine states struggle with pest outbreaks

Although most states in India lose five to 10 per cent of crops to pest attacks every year, the scale and intensity of the recent attacks is a …

Number of crop pests have increased seven-fold, says industry report

Almost 20 per cent of world’s agricultural production is lost because of post-harvest pest attacks, says joint report of FICCI and Tata …