Posted on 10/12/2017 10:29:34 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
A rapidly spreading invasive pest now threatens crops across the continent.
The fall armyworm is closely related to the African armyworm, which is native to the continent. Both pests feed not just on corn, but also on other cereal crops like rice, sorghum, and wheat. Kenneth Wilson of Lancaster University has studied the African armyworm for 25 years and is now part of a working group with the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization that is examining how to deal with the newly arrived pest.
The fall armyworm comes at a time when farmers throughout rural Africa are grappling with rising food insecurity because of climatic changes.
Climate change may be a factor in the fall armyworm’s rapid spread across the continent. Wilson says that while it’s too early to know for sure about the new pest, 50 plus years of data on the native African armyworm show that the population explodes after periods of drought. He thinks it’s possible that the intensifying droughts brought on by climate change may favor both varieties of armyworm.
Wilson specializes in biological pesticides, which are developed from bacteria, baculoviruses, and fungi that naturally prey on pests. He has already identified a virus that kills the African armyworm, but to his frustration it doesn’t kill the fall armyworm.
Such an effort will take time and significant outside investment. Fortunately, Wilson thinks countries outside of Africa are taking the threat seriously. It’s only a matter of time, he says, before the fall armyworm makes its way to Yemen and southern Europe. “For Europe and Asia, there should be an element of self-interest. It’s a global problem. It’s going to be everywhere.”
(Excerpt) Read more at sierraclub.org ...
All the lakes where I live have been ruined by zebra mussels over the last thirty years or so. Is that because of climate change?
Why not eat the worms?
Isn’t that the UN’s plan for “sustainability” anyway?
There are lots of keywords that are BS detectors in fake news articles. They put one of the big ones right in the title to let everyone know instead of a few paragraphs in.
DDT. Learn it. Love It. Live it!
yo climate change morons...
it’s NOT climate change! it’s Africa! Africa has ALWAYS been a God forsaken place to try to accomplish anything.
Don’t birds eat them?
Any bets they see the fall army worm as a pest but also have folks "on their side" that would try to protect it from extermination/population control?????
What I find comical is that we had an incredibly mild summer this year in Kentucky. Does this mean we should get less of these worms, or more? And they sound like a good source of protein. Since most of our corn goes to cattle feed, I suppose that would be a good thing.
That’s what they keep trying to push on everyone. You’d think they’d be happy about this, but they can’t get their propaganda straight.
Worms = bad or worms = really awesome food stuffs. Which is it lefties?
This is easy to prove. It has never been hot in Africa until the past few years.
":^0
b o n k e r s
Africa is caused by climate change. Somebody do something.
Post of the day !!!!!!
:-)
.
Look at me, ma!
Top of the world!!!!
Got any good recipes?
I was raised on a dairy farm in Southern Wisconsin.
We moved to the farm in 1947 & I left the farm in 1958.
I clearly remember that we had Army Worms ( & they were Army military green) in the late 40’s & early 50’s. They could eat an alfalfa field down to the dirt in one night, because they move across like an army & eat everything. Spraying didn’t work. I don’t remember the birds being particularly interested in them.
However, there wasn’t one peep about climate change in those days.
This is a complete false flag, IMO.
Climate Change does not allow an invasive species to cross the ocean. That is typically done on a plane or a boat.
It always does, doesn’t it?
“Such an effort will take time and significant outside investment.”
So he wants a grant?
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