The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has deployed measures for the prevention and control of the fall armyworm.

Release Date:

2022-07-29

　　On July 27, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs convened a meeting in Xi’an, Shaanxi. Wheat Summary of Pest and Disease Control and Meeting on Fall Armyworm Management: Summary and Exchange Wheat Assess the effectiveness and lessons learned from the prevention and control of major pests and diseases; evaluate the current situation regarding the fall armyworm; mobilize and coordinate efforts to combat this pest; and develop and propose targeted measures for the prevention and control of major autumn‑season pests and diseases.
　　The meeting noted that, with the strong attention of Party committees and governments at all levels, and through the concerted efforts of agricultural and rural departments and plant protection agencies at all levels, a decisive victory has been achieved. Wheat A tough battle to prevent and control plant diseases and pests. First, a new mechanism has been put in place to drive the work: Party and government leaders take the lead, departmental heads are assigned specific areas of responsibility, and administrative and public institutions collaborate effectively. Second, there have been significant breakthroughs in funding: this year, central and local governments have jointly allocated a total of… Wheat Funding for pest and disease control and the “one spray, three protections” initiative reached RMB 4.63 billion, a record high. Third, new measures have been introduced for monitoring and prevention. Innovative approaches were adopted to overcome the impact of the pandemic, combining online and offline methods, refining technical protocols, and promoting integrated pest management and green control strategies. Fourth, significant progress has been made in safeguarding grain yields from pests: stripe rust did not break out on a large scale, with cases down by 90% year-on-year; Fusarium head blight decreased by 40% compared with the previous year, and the average incidence of diseased grains in major production areas remained below 0.2%. Wheat This year has seen the highest level of quality in recent years. According to trials and expert estimates conducted across 12 provinces—including Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui—comparing scenarios with and without pest control, as well as farmers’ independent management versus integrated pest management, the contribution of plant protection measures reached 27.26%. Through pest and disease control and practices such as “one spray for three protections,” cumulative losses have been averted. Wheat Production losses totaled more than 74 billion jin, an increase of nearly 2 billion jin over the previous year, playing a crucial role in ensuring a bumper summer grain harvest.
　　The meeting emphasized that, at present, the fall armyworm is causing more severe damage than last year in seven provinces—Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui, Sichuan, Guizhou, Henan, and Shaanxi. Since late June, its northward expansion has accelerated, with the northern boundary now reaching Fengnan in Hebei and Ninghe in Tianjin—more than three degrees of latitude farther north and over 30 days earlier than last year—resulting in a rather grave situation. Corn The incidence of secondary pests and diseases, such as southern rust, northern leaf blight, and stem base rot, is also on the rise, posing a threat to… Corn Production safety poses a significant threat, and the tasks of monitoring and prevention remain formidable; therefore, no slackening of efforts is permissible. All localities must ground their work in the present while keeping the long term in mind, diligently “plan for matters, secure funding, develop personnel, and harness expertise,” broaden their approaches, seek financial support, strengthen institutional frameworks, and innovate working methods, thereby continuously forging new prospects in plant protection and disaster prevention and mitigation.
　　The meeting called on all localities to earnestly implement the spirit of the national video conference on advancing agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation efforts to ensure a bumper autumn grain harvest, firmly upholding the principle that prevention is paramount to control, adhering to early and small-scale intervention, and rigorously carrying out pest and disease management for autumn grain crops, including the fall armyworm. First, it is essential to continue the prevention and control mechanism featuring leadership by Party and government officials, sectoral responsibility assigned to specific areas, and coordinated efforts across administrative and public institutions, ensuring that all measures are fully implemented. Second, strengthen monitoring and early warning systems for pests and diseases, promptly track their development, assess potential yield losses, and issue timely risk alerts. Third, swiftly formulate an action plan to safeguard the autumn grain harvest against pest‑induced yield losses, putting in place practical, feasible technical measures and control strategies. Fourth, intensify demonstration and promotion of integrated technologies, provide ongoing technical guidance and support, and vigorously advance science‑based pest and disease management.