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Successful global forum on controlling the armyworm

A large group of people standing opposite a woman behind a table

A farmer participating in the SysCom project in Kenya explaining the preparation of a homemade botanical for pest management to the interested forum participants. (Photo: icipe, Edward Karanja)

End of June 2023, the "Global Forum on Biological Control and Training Workshop on Biological Control for Fall Armyworm" was hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and FiBL Switzerland’s project partner, the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).

In addition to other activities, the participants of the forum visited the long-term trials of the project "Farming Systems Comparison in the Tropics" (SysCom) in Thika, Kenya, that are coordinated by FiBL Switzerland and implemented by icipe. The trials have been running since 2007 in Kenya in the scope of the SysCom programme, enhancing the knowledge of organic agriculture in the tropics.

The main focus of the forum was on biological strategies to manage the fall armyworm, thus the trial was of particular interest to the 131 participants from over 30 countries because it showed a practical example of how to deal with the invasive pest. The Kenyan team presented different intercropping systems and a self-made botanical used to suppress the worm. The participants were highly interested in the preparation of the botanical, which mainly include locally available plant materials.

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David Bautze

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