Fall army worm continues to present an incursion threat to New Zealand.
The Australian government has determined that it will not be possible to eradicate Fall armyworm (FAW) and is moving to prepare affected industries for ongoing, long-term management of this extremely damaging new pest.
FAW was first detected in the Torres Strait islands in late January this year and then in Queensland's Cape York area and the north west Gulf region in February. At present, the most southern detections are in Bundaberg (Queensland) and Broome (Western Australia) and the pest is expected to continue to move southwards over the coming months.
FAW would be equally devastating in New Zealand, so all growers are reminded to keep an eye out for anything unusual in the way of insect pests or plant damage.
The following websites offer information about Fall army worm.