Kenya farmers will from February 22, 2018 combat the armyworm threat on their maize fields through organic methods courtesy of a grant from the European Union (EU). The funds will allow family growers to reduce dependence on pesticides and hence improve the quality of their subsistence crops and fresh produce exports.

The KSH870 million ($8.7 million) kitty will oversee the use of natural traps and growth of repellant crops to contain the current invasion of the boring insects that pose a threat to farming yields.

The announcement of the grant took place at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi’s Kasarani suburb. Scientists from ICIPE, a research center on affordable natural farming techniques said that they will maintain the kitty for the next four years. Farmers will access assistance cost-free during the period.

This funding comes at a time when the country is preparing for the long rains season that lasts for three months between February and May of each year.

The main method of armyworm control will be through ICIPE’s push-pull technique. The procedure calls for the growth of an anti-army worm crop and an insect-favoring vegetation like napier grass on the fringes of the farms. The napier attracts the boring insects to act as habitat but the grass does not provide enough nutrition for the insects and hence they will be depleted.

Armyworm thrives in maize plantations, which makes corn a non-ideal crop to plant as a repellant. Farmers will therefore need to grow repellant cash crops next to napier or intercrop traditional legumes like beans with  corn to reap the benefits.

According to the EU delegation that visited the farms in Trans Nzoia which is the maize basket of the country, the funds will provide enough capital for researching further into the natural control technology.

This is good news for many cash crop farmers who often resort to the use of pesticides. Current suggestions include Voliam Targo from regional manufacturers which may not be suitable for exporters who are wary of reaching over 0.01 percent of minimum residual levels (MRLs) for their exports.

Armyworm first began its surge in Western Kenya in early 2017 before spreading in Trans Nzoia, and other maize-growing areas of the country throughout the year. In April 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture first declared the invasion rife in Western Kenya alongside Central Rift and North Rift, which are major agricultural regions. Neighboring Tanzania also had to combat the armyworm threat which has led to massive losses of both maize and pasture through the use of biopesticides.  The pest is normally a caterpillar that bores into the stems of crops and depletes them at fast velocities and within a short period of time.

Kenya farmers may learn from their Latin American counterparts where armyworm is native. The farmers in this part of the world use organic repellants including beans which they intercrop with corn to control the invasion.