Soil Fungus Offers New Hope Against Devastating African Armyworm
South African entomologist Letodi Luki Mathulwe has made a groundbreaking discovery in the fight against the highly destructive African armyworm. The fungus Metarhizium rileyi, which lives in soil, naturally infects and kills the larvae of the insect.
The African armyworm is a migratory pest that causes significant damage to maize, sorghum, millet, and sugarcane crops, as well as kikuyu grass pastures. The caterpillars also destroy grazing lands, leading to livestock poisoning due to cyanic chemical compounds released by the plants.
Mathulwe's research focuses on integrated pest management using disease-causing fungi and nematodes as biological control agents. He observed that Metarhizium rileyi was infecting African armyworm larvae in kikuyu grass pastures in KwaZulu-Natal, leading to the first report of its efficacy against the insect.
The discovery opens up opportunities for developing a commercial biopesticide product using Metarhizium rileyi, which could be used during outbreak seasons in South Africa and globally.