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GM versions of fall armyworm can effectively control the insect pest, study confirms
Genetically modified insects offer a sustainable solution for controlling fall armyworm, a devastating agricultural pest that has already developed resistance to both insecticides and Bt crops, a new study finds. The peer-reviewed research, published in BMC Biotechnology Journal, found that Oxitec Ltd.’s Friendly technology can effectively reduce populations of…
Brazil approves environmentally ‘Friendly’ GM tool for controlling fall armyworm
Brazilian farmers are a step closer to using an environmentally friendly tool to control a destructive agricultural pest with the government’s approval of Oxitec’s “Friendly” fall armyworm technology. Oxitec’s Friendly technology works by genetically modifying (GM) insects to introduce a gene that prevents offspring of the pests from surviving into…
Poverty and hunger follow Africa’s fall armyworm invasion
Africa’s fall armyworm invasion has contributed to poverty and hunger among smallholder farmers, a pioneering study shows. Severe levels of FAW infestation reduced per capita household income by 44 percent and increased a household’s likelihood of experiencing hunger by 17 percent, according to the study conducted by the Centre…
Self-limiting ‘Friendly’ technology offers hope for controlling fall armyworm without pesticides
Oxitec, the Oxford University spinoff company that produces environmentally-friendly insect control solutions, today announced a collaboration with the life sciences giant Bayer to scale up its program targeting the destructive fall armyworm crop pest. Like its existing programs against dengue- and Zika-carrying mosquitoes, the fall armyworm effort will use Oxitec’s…
Fall armyworm adds bitter note to farmer’s ‘sweet and sour journey’
For 83-year-old Florence Wambui Theiru, a life of farming in Central Kenya has been a sweet and sour journey. Over the decades, she’s seen it all. But fall armyworm, a devasting new pest that is devouring the maize crops that she depends on to feed her family and provide fodder…
Bt corn could help combat fall armyworm in Africa, scientist says
Though anti-GMO sentiment is restraining agricultural advancement in the developing world, an Iowa State University agronomist hopes his research will clarify the scientific consensus and spark wider acceptance of the technology in Africa. A paper recently published in the academic journal Global Food Security analyzed dozens of previous scientific studies…
Destructive fall armyworm now invading India
With farmers across the African continent still reeling from the devastation wrought by fall armyworm, news has come in that the voracious crop pest has now invaded India. Researchers first spotted fall armyworm (FAW) May 18 in maize (corn) fields owned by the College of Agriculture in Shivamogga. But reports…
Uganda’s Parliament recesses as fall armyworm advances
Though Uganda’s legislators have paused for a vacation without taking action on the nation’s biosafety bill, the voracious fall armyworm is not about to vacate farmers’ maize fields. The devastating pest, which has persisted through two seasons of planting, is causing desperation among farming communities. Some farmers are tripling their…
WEMA maize shows resistance to destructive fall armyworm pest
Scientists have observed unexpected benefits in Mozambique’s Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) field trials that could well be a game changer in efforts to ensure Africa’s food security. Though the maize varieties were genetically modified to withstand drought and the vicious stem borer pest, they’re also showing promising resistance…