Integrated Pest Management of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Maize: Insights from On-Farm Trials

Abstract

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith, 1797) has emerged as a serious invasive pest of maize in India, causing substantial yield losses and forcing farmers to rely heavily on chemical insecticides. To evaluate the effectiveness of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach under farmers’ field conditions, on-farm trials were conducted during the kharif seasons of 2020–21 and 2021–22 in Papri Ta. Mohol and Ankoli Ta. Mohol, Solapur district, Maharashtra. The study compared farmers’ practice of chlorpyriphos application with an IPM module comprising pheromone trap installation and need-based insecticide sprays. Results showed that the IPM module significantly reduced plant infestation (16.5%) compared with farmers’ practice (45.4%), yielding a pooled reduction of 61.86%. The IPM treatment also produced higher pooled grain yield (50.8 q ha⁻¹) and benefit–cost ratio (2.1) than farmers’ practice. Lower coefficient of variation (CV%) values indicated good experimental precision. The study concludes that adoption of IPM strategies is effective, economically viable, and environmentally safer for the sustainable management of fall armyworm in maize.