JAMMU, APRIL 22: The Department of Agriculture, Jammu, in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), officially launched a comprehensive awareness campaign on the identification and management of Fall Armyworm (FAW) at Kisan Kendra, Talab Tillo today.
The campaign was inaugurated by Director Agriculture Jammu, Arvinder Singh Reen, in the presence of Joint Director Agriculture Extension Satish Sharma; Regional Director South Asia, CABI Dr. Vinod Pandit; Deputy Director Central Dr. Ashwani Sharma; Deputy Director Trainings Alok Pandotra; Agriculture Chemist Dr. Aman Jyoti Sharma; PWPlus Country Coordinator India (CABI) Dr. Manju Thakur and Subject Matter Specialist, RL Darmesh Vaid.
In his inaugural address, Director A.S. Reen emphasized the serious threat posed by Fall Armyworm to Kharif crops, particularly maize. He highlighted several preventive and management strategies, including deep ploughing before the cropping season, manual removal of egg masses, use of pheromone traps, and drone-based pesticide applications. He stressed that integrated pest management (IPM)—including cultural, mechanical, and biological methods—should be prioritized, with chemical controls considered as a last resort.
He further noted the importance of such awareness campaigns in empowering farmers with the knowledge needed to protect their crops and livelihood. “Training of master trainers is crucial,” said A.S Reen, “so that they in turn can educate extension officers, progressive farmers, SHGs, FPOs, and agri-dealers in identifying and managing FAW infestations.” He also announced that the department would be providing farmers with handbooks, literature, and regular training programs.
Regional Director South Asia CABI Dr. Vinod Pandit spoke about CABI’s global efforts in tackling FAW and informed the gathering about the CABI FAW Portal, an online resource available to both farmers and extension personnel for information and updates on FAW management.
Joint Director Extension Satish Sharma delivered the introductory remarks and shared that the campaign will be rolled out across all districts of Jammu Division throughout the Kharif season. He added that a comprehensive FAW fact sheet and action plan, developed with support from CABI, SKUAST-Jammu, and the Department of Agriculture, are ready for district-level implementation.
Dr. Manju Thakur presented the strategic framework for the FAW campaign, covering aspects such as location selection, community involvement, and campaign monitoring. She also highlighted the significance of the FAW field handbook in aiding both plant doctors and farmers in identifying the pest in the field.
As part of the program, a cluster meeting of plant doctors under the Plantwise Plus initiative was conducted, featuring technical sessions on FAW data management, campaign tracking, and a review of plant clinics’ progress for 2024–25. Key resource persons included Rajesh Verma, Assistant Entomologist, Arun Khajuria, SMS, and Rajiv Singh, Data Manager I/c PHC Jammu. The proceedings of the program were efficiently conducted by Rajeev Katoch.
