Integrated management of the fall armyworm on maize: A guide for farmer field schools in Africa

This guide provides an overview of the effect of fall armyworm (FAW) infestations in maize crops in Africa, promising management options and the role of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for integrated pest management.

The first part of the guide summarizes basic technical information on the FAW; the second part describes in more detail how to integrate FAW management in a FFS, reflecting FFS experiences from West, Central, Southern and Eastern subregions of Africa and the recommendations of technical resource persons from the Americas and elsewhere. This guide puts emphasis on management of FAW for maize as the preferred host plant of FAW. However FAW can feed on over 80 plants. Most of the information in this guide can be adapted for other crops. The guide does not provide detailed information on maize cultivation, which will vary depending on the specific context. Existing FFS curricula on maize provide a basis which is available to FFS trainers and facilitators, and which reflects findings from national research and farmers innovations that are giving good results in specific contexts. This guide focuses on providing resource material and ideas on how to integrate FAW into FFS training.