Occurrence and effect of fall armyworm on maize production in Arapai Sub-County, Soroti District, Eastern Uganda

Maize (Zea mays L) is ranked among the top three crops cultivated and consumed after bananas and cassava in Uganda. However, maize production is currently endangered by the fall armyworm (FAW) outbreak, which if not controlled causes enormous losses. Moreover, there is still limited knowledge on the status, origin and effects of FAW. This study was therefore undertaken to establish the occurrence of fall armyworm and its effect on maize production, livelihoods as well as ascertain the coping methods used by farmers in Arapai sub-county, Soroti district. The study used an exploratory design to solicit information from 50 respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics of SPSS software version 16. Eighty one percent of the respondents reported the occurrence of FAW in their fields. Seventy one percent of respondents reported that the severity of damage was more intense on maize aged two months and above, often resulting in 100 % yield loss. Close to 89% of respondents tried to control FAW using chemicals, although success was with limited. Therefore there is need to sensitize the population on management of FAW as well as establishment of early alert systems for warning against fall army worm outbreaks.