Army worms infest 3 La Union villages

By Freddie G. Lazaro

BURGOS, La Union — Several ricefields in at least three villages in this town were attacked by “army worms,” and the infestation if getting graver, according to the office of the provincial agriculturist.

The army worn attack was the first to hit the province of La Union after the reported similar phenomenon earlier in the province of Bataan.

La Union Provincial Agriculturist Imelda J. Sannadan said ricelands in the mountain villages of Imelda, Agpay, and Libtong were attacked by army worms, affecting at least 40 farmers with still undetermined total land areas.

“After we verified reports of ‘army-worm attacks’ on the ricefields in Burgos town, we rushed up immediately to the said places to give technical assistance to contain the spread of the dreaded worms,” she said.

Quoting the reports from La Union Information Officer Mario O. Casimiro, Sannadan handed over 10 bottles of insecticides to Burgos Mayor Jose Abansi who was with the former during the ocular and validation on the affected ricefields on July 13.

Sannadan, who is aware of the damage the army worms could inflict to the seedling stage rice varieties, said that the attack if not immediately contained and controlled would deliver considerable loses in the standing rice plantations and would eventually spread rapidly to nearby villages and towns.

“We have available insecticides which we can utilize to combat this natural agricultural problem.

The fact that we are on close watch on situations like this is a blatant manifestation of our commitment to doubly serve our people in the agricultural sector, particularly those whose access to government is seemingly remote. While we are busy concentrating on our regular and special agricultural concerns to address the flagship program of Governor Manuel C. Ortega for his second term, our team will always remain steadfast to deliver what could be best for our constituents in the countryside,” Sannadan said, in an interview on the mountain slopes of the said villages.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has ordered the immediate distribution of some P900,000 worth of knapsack sprayers and recommended insecticides to control the proliferation of “army worms” that attack farms in the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, and Quezon.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala instructed DA Undersecretary Joel Rudinas and Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo to monitor the infestations.

Experts from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Crop Protection Division said that army worms are nocturnal moth larvae that travel in multitudes, destroying any kind of vegetation including grass and grain on their path.

One egg mass is equivalent to 100 to 300 eggs, which turn into voracious defoliators after hatching.

They are most destructive during their larval stage, which lasts 14 to 24 days.

Army worms are most destructive during their larval stage and may be controlled by applying recommended insecticides such as “Carbaryl” and “Pyrethroids.”

“The chemicals should be sprayed directly to the army worms or to the vegetation, where the pests are visible during late afternoons when they are most active,” the experts said.

“We are urging the extension workers and farmers to follow proper procedures in the application of recommended chemicals as indicated in their labels. We are also urging farmers to always wear protective gears during insecticide application,” they recommended.