2023 Kick-Off Workshop PMP+ Asia Region FAW and BPH Diagnostics and Monitoring and Surveillance Program

Hanoi, 4-6th December 2023

Researchers from across South Asia -Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Vietnam), Australia, and South Korea met in Hanoi for 3 days from 4-6 December 2023 to kick off a new 3-year Asia Diagnostics, Monitoring, and Surveillance Program on Fall Armyworm (FAW) and Brown Planthopper (BPH).

This new initiative generously supported by South Korea's Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) in partnership with the CSIRO Genomics Team and the ASEAN FAW Action Plan will focus on three major components to better understand these two serious regional pests.

Component 1 will build genomic evidence-based information to infer FAW (Year 1) and BPH populations (Year 2) connectivity across the region as the first step for the development of pest management solutions.

This will build on the successful work by CSIRO's Dr. Wee Tek Tay and a team of experts under a previous GRDC(1), ACIAR(2), and CRDC(3) co-funded project that aimed to better understand FAW population connectivities(4), management options(5), and resistance profiles(6) in Australia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and East Africa (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippine, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Uganda).

Component 2 will look at building skills across the region on bioassay work to understand resistance profiles in the two species through the development of standardized protocols between the project partner countries, as well as providing hands-on training to analyze and quality control DNA sequence datasets for molecular diagnostic purposes. Identifying potential biocontrol solutions for future management of FAW and BPH will be a key focus of the work.

Component 3 will look at applying solutions in the field with a focus on practical and effective IPM solutions for farmers that promote sound monitoring and management of FAW and BPH populations, to reduce conventional chemical pesticide use by 30%.

More information on this project will be posted soon. In the meantime - if you have an interest in sharing your knowledge with the members of this project on work related to BPH and FAW in the region please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Relevant research reports

1. FAW’s genetics and insecticide sensitivities explored to develop pest management plans

2. Complex multiple introductions drive fall armyworm invasions into Asia and Australia

3. International cross-industry project to combat fall armyworm

4. Characterisation of Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) populations in South-East Asia and Northern Australia (co-funded with GRDC)

5. Farmer perception of impacts of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) and transferability of its management practices in Uganda

6. Resistance Bioassays and Allele Characterization Inform Analysis of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Introduction Pathways in Asia and Australia