Corteva Agriscience Helps Reduce Fall Armyworm Impact in Thailand
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Corteva Agriscience, in collaboration with the Thailand Department of Agriculture, Thai Crop Protection Association and CropLife Asia, has helped dramatically reduce the devastating impact of fall armyworm on corn produced by smallholder farmer customers. As a result, total crop losses in the country now range from 3-4%, down from 25-40% in 2019.
Corn is a primary crop for livestock feed in Thailand, accounting for an average yield of 4.62 million tons grown on 1.07 million hectares. When the fall armyworm initially invaded Thailand in 2018, many farmers were forced to plow under entire fields to stop the spread, resulting in significant losses of livestock feed and farmer income.
Corteva worked quickly with local government and non-profit organizations to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) program designed to help protect corn plants, as well as an extensive education campaign to inform the over 36,000 smallholder farmers in Thailand. In 2019, Corteva, government and local entities completed field and laboratory trials of Lumivia® insecticide seed treatment and Jemvelva™ active, a key component of insecticides. These trials were so successful that the Thailand Department of Agriculture guidelines now recommend Corteva products as the most preferred and safer methods for control of fall armyworm.
“Through our innovative technologies and educational outreach efforts, we are sustainably protecting the incomes of our smallholder farmer customers and effectively tackling an invasive pest issue across the country,” Somsak Samanwong, APAC Regional Technical Educator for Corteva Agriscience.
To learn more about Corteva’s agricultural development collaborations, contact Jennifer Billings.