Fall armyworm research, development and extension for horticulture

Over the last two years, fall armyworm (FAW) has become a potential pest in Victoria for current and future climates, with impacts on corn and maize crop production along with risks to many other grains and horticultural crops.

Due to potential risks to growers in this region, a FAW awareness and biosecurity workshop was organised for East Gippsland by Agriculture Victoria in September 2024. The workshops were part of the  VG22006 National fall armyworm innovation system for the Australian vegetable Industry project, with the event supported by VegNET Gippsland and AUSVEG (the National Peak Industry Body). FAW experts travelled to the workshop from Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) and Macquarie University (MU).

Scientists Dr Melina Miles, Dr Heidi Parkes, Dr Ramesh Puri (DAF), Dr Vivian Mendez (MU) and Dr Duong Nguyen (NSW DPIRD) provided insights into the latest research, their experiences with FAW, and its impacts since it was first found in Australia in 2020. The 21 farmers, agronomists and industry representatives that attended were able to look at samples of damaged plants and view various life stages of the pest. Attendees asked questions of presenters about monitoring, impacts, control options, risks and upcoming research. They were then given tools to assist with identification and monitoring of FAW for the upcoming season.

Agriculture Victoria, with support from DAF, is also partnering with local agronomists to collate FAW trapping data. Agriculture Victoria staff are offering free LAMP testing for any suspected FAW found in the region, a quick identification tool to assist growers to make informed decisions about the pest and crop impacts in a timely manner.