On January 26, Guilin Jiqi Group
Co., Ltd. (Guilin Jiqi) signed a patent transfer contract with the Institute of
Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPP). The
contract transferred ownership of the patented technology “a high-efficiency fall
armyworm sex attractant and application thereof,” which was jointly developed
by IPP and the National Agri-Tech Extension and Service Center. Guilin Jiqi has
worked closely with IPP to develop new products and technology and to improve
utilization rate of pesticides for a long time. After the patent is
transferred, the two parties will cooperate in optimizing and manufacturing the
product as soon as possible. The new attractant is expected to provide tools
for the prevention and control of fall army worms and bolster national grain
security, food safety, and environmental safety.
Fall army worms are considered as global migratory pests, and
they severely threaten the production and quality of grain crops in China. In
response, a team from IPP and the National Agricultural Technology Extension
Service Center developed a sex attractant for fall army worms intended to be
used with insect traps. In 2020, experts from the two institutions conducted a
trial of the sex attractant product for fall army worms in Changping to trap
fall army worms. Compared to other sex attractants, the one developed by IPP
and the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center was the most
effective and trapped the highest number of fall army worms.
Ministry of
Agriculture adds fall army worms to pest list amid spread throughout China
Fall army worms originally come
from the tropical and subtropical zones of North and South America, and fall
army worms are spread widely throughout the American continents. In January
2019, fall army worms spread to Yunnan province in China from Southeast Asia.
Currently, fall army worms have been found in many provinces such as Guangdong,
Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian, Sichuan, and Hainan.
Due to their high fertility,
adaptability, as well as destructiveness, fall army worms were ranked as one of
the ten most destructive insects in the world by Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience
International. In November 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
of China added fall army worms to
the official list of Crop Diseases and Insect Pests. The Chinese customs
quarantine control also pays close attention to fall army worms.
Fall
army worms threaten a wide variety of locations and crops
Fall army worms usually have the
following characteristics. First, fall army worms eat various crops. Even
though fall army worms in China mainly eat corn, they also eat rice, cotton,
sorghum, barley, wheat, soybeans, potatoes and over three hundred other plants.
Second, fall army worms have a very strong migration ability. Recent data shows
that fall army worms can quickly travel over 1600 kilometers from Mississippi,
USA to southern Canada within thirty hours. Fall army worms infest widely, and
a female fall army worm can produce approximately 1,500 eggs within its
lifetime. At 25 degrees Celsius, a group of fall army worms can produce a
second generation in 24 to 30 days. Additionally, fall army worms can also
survive during the winter. Under appropriate conditions, fall army worms can
continuously produce 4-6 generations each year.
Currently,
pesticides such as Emamectin Benzoate, Spinetoram and Chlorantraniliprole are
used to deal with the problem of fall army worms. During their adult stage,
light traps are usually used to trap and kill fall army worms. Furthermore, pheromones
are used to reduce and limit their reproduction, and Beauveria is also used for preventative
treatment.
For more information, please check
our resources on China’s
crop market.