Thoothukudi Farmers Receive Guidance to Protect Maize Crops from Fall Armyworm

On October 30, 2025, the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare department of Thoothukudi, a city in Tamil Nadu, India, has issued comprehensive guidelines to help local farmers protect their maize crops from the devastating fall armyworm infestation.

The department has advised farmers to make use of the recent monsoon rains to deeply plough their land, which will expose the larvae and pupae present in the soil to sunlight and birds, effectively destroying them. This measure also prevents the adult moths from emerging from the pupae. Additionally, the guidelines instruct farmers to apply 250 kg of neem cake powder per hectare during the final ploughing to control the larvae and prevent the emergence of adult moths.

Furthermore, the department has stressed the importance of proper spacing while sowing the maize crops, as this can make pest management easier. Farmers have also been advised to spray a solution of 20 ml of neem oil diluted in 10 liters of water to prevent moths from laying eggs. The guidelines also highlight the benefits of intercropping with leguminous crops, which can help prevent fall armyworm infestation.

To ensure the effective control of the pest, the department has urged farmers to avoid using unrecommended pesticides and instead opt for biopesticides such as Metarhizium anisopliae, applied at a rate of four kg per hectare, and Trichogramma pretiosum, which should be sprayed two to three times at one-week intervals in the maize fields.