adminAgriculture Reporter
The Department of Plant Protection Research Institute has started distributing chemicals for armyworm control ahead of the summer cropping season. The department has teams that are monitoring the pest in different areas for forecasting on the armyworm outbreak.
Head of the PPRI Dr Godfrey Chikwenhere said the department had chemicals from the previous season and was going to procure more to adequately prepare for the control of the pest.
“We have so far distributed chemicals in provincial offices. Carbaryl is most effective for controlling armyworm in crops but we have challenges when protecting pastures since the chemical may affect livestock. We have since found an alternative chemical for pastures that requires a short period for it to break down. We will soon be disbursing it to the provincial centres,” he said.
Dr Chikwenhere said Mashonaland Central had 150kg of Carbaryl, Mashonaland East 267kg, Midlands 100kg, Masvingo would get 200kg, Matabeleland North 149kg, Matabeleland South 150kg and Manicaland 149kg.
He said the armyworm was expected to migrate into Zimbabwe end of October and said by then everything would be under control.
Online Reporter