A day long training programme to build awareness on the management of Fall army Worms (FAW) affecting Maize crops in Nagaland was organized on  May 24, 2021 by FAO in collaboration with the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR). This initiative is a part of FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) titled, “Time-critical measures to support early warning and monitoring and sustainable management of the Fall Armyworm in India”.

In the beginning of May 2021, FAO India learnt that the maize crop in Nagaland had been impacted by the FAW. Following this, FAO India collaborated with IIMR and Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (DPPQS) and decided to organize the awareness training on the management of FAW in the maize crop for the agriculture officials of Nagaland.

Members of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), agriculture officers from Nagaland and Entomologists from All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) participated in the training. The inaugural session on  May 24, 2021 was graced by Dr. N. Sathyanarayana, Joint Director, DPPQS, Faridabad;   Dr. Sujoy Rakshit, Director, ICAR-IIMR , Ludhiana and Mr. Tomio Shichiri, FAO Representative in India.  The training programme was facilitated by members of ICAR-IIMR and AICRP Maize Central Agriculture University (CAU), Imphal. This programme was coordinated by Mr. Rajesh Dubey - FAO India and Dr. J. C. Sekhar, ICAR-IIMR.

The training lectures covered the topics – Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for FAW on Maize in North East Hill (NEH) region; Quick Action Strategy for FAW Management in Nagaland; Agro-ecological Options for FAW Management in Nagaland and Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) Recommendations; and Strengthening Monitoring and Surveillance for Early Detection using Fall Army Worm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAWMES) app. 

The training emphasized the need to create awareness on improving the early monitoring of FAW incidence on maize and to advice the farmers to initiate management techniques in a timely and sustainable manner while using the FAWMES app. The training also stressed on an immediate need to integrate cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical management measures. It further emphasized  on prevention through combination of effective monitoring and early warning systems along with IPM.   The training will help the participants to adopt integrated management practices in a sustainable manner in the respective maize agroecological regions and to orient research on region specific feasible IPM programmes for the management of the FAW.