China-backed pest control boosts yields

A joint initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the governments of China and Kenya to promote biological alternatives to chemical pesticides in tackling fall armyworm is yielding promising results, particularly in maize farming across Kenya.

The project, part of the Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control under the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Program, is being piloted at three sites in Kenya.

Fall armyworm, a moth native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, has now spread to more than 70 countries. While it is destructive to maize, it can also affect more than 80 other plant species.