Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, operations and stewardship manager at CropLife South Africa, said that South Africa recently experienced one of its biggest infestations of African armyworm on record, with the outbreak spreading across the summer rainfall region.
While African armyworms usually only attack pastures and veld, due to the large scale of the infestation, soya bean, maize, and sunflower crops were also affected this season. Fortunately, damage to these crops has been minimal, said Verdoorn.
The outbreak, which began on 15 February, subsided from mid-March, after which no new reports of damage or sightings were received.
However, Verdoorn said that another strike could occur this week or next week and added that, because of cooler temperatures, it was unlikely to be as severe as the February outbreak.
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