Fall armyworms are now in 15 towns and cities of Negros Occidental, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported on Monday, July 8.
The fall armyworms have attacked corn fields in 74 barangays and sugarcane in one barangay, the OPA report said.
This has affected 1,429 farmers and the crops on 932.5 hectares, the OPA said.
The fall armyworms have affected corn fields in Moises Padilla, Himamaylan City, Isabela, Kabankalan City, Cauayan, Binalbagan, Candoni, Hinoba-an, La Castellana, Murcia, Bago City, Ilog, Escalante City, Silay City and Sagay City.
They have also attacked sugarcane in one barangay in Himamaylan City, the OPA reported.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Crop Protection Center has provided Negros Occidental with 50 liters of insecticide that can cover at least 100 hectares.
Spraying of insecticide in affected areas will continue, he said.
The provincial government also has a P3 million budget for additional insecticide, he said.
Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) said experts from the University of the Philippines Los Baños who inspected the affected areas recommended two ways to eradicate the fall armyworms.
They recommended a two-pronged attack – chemical spraying when the infestation is high and when the situation improves through bio-control where natural predators of the fall armyworms are used, he said.
Spraying to eliminate armyworms requires that affected plants are sprayed up and down, and not just over the top, Yulo said.*