Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 12 June, 2019
By: John Van Trieste
The fall armyworm is an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to Taiwanese agriculture. (Photo Courtesy
The fall armyworm is an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to Taiwanese agriculture. (Photo Courtesy Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine)
Taiwan’s national parks are teaching their volunteers to recognize fall armyworm in an effort to check the spread of the agricultural pest.
The fall armyworm damages 353 types of plants, among them important crops like corn, rice, and cotton. They can also spread rapidly over large areas. Officials recently confirmed that the pest has arrived in Taiwan, most likely blown on the wind from the Asian mainland.
In addition to learning how to identify the fall armyworm, volunteers at national parks are also being instructed on the damage the pests do. [FULL STORY]