Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) is an important food crop in Nigeria, and it is fast becoming the most widely cultivated crop. Several efforts have been made by the Nigeria Government to make the country self-sufficiency in maize production, but some biotic and abiotic factors are impeding this achievement. Among the biotic constraints militating against maize production in Nigeria, armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is most devastating in recent times. The larvae of this insect pest are the culprits that caused damage to maize plants. They leave several feeding holes on the leaf lamina of the crop, giving maize tattered appearance. The infestation level by armyworm on the field experienced by maize growers in recent times calls for great concern in Nigeria. This outbreak is not out of mere coincidence, but a result of numerous factors which is chiefly driven by climate change. Climatic change over the years has altered temperature, moisture, relative humidity and CO2 concentration in our ecosystem. These changes seem to favour the proliferation of pests, even making secondary pests like armyworm to become a major pest of maize in Nigeria and Africa at large. In this paper, we reviewed the biology of armyworm, the influence of climate change on pest prevalence and some control measures for coping with armyworm infestation. Integrated pest management was advocated as the most sustainable management approach. Key words: Armyworm, temperature, rainfall, maize, integrated pest management.
Highlights
Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most superior cereal crops in the world due to its wide adaptation and varieties of utilization (Sesay et al, 2017; Fayeun and Sesay, 2019)
(2012) observed that the changing rainfall pattern will increase the incidence of pests, diseases, drought and flooding which will result in food shortage and an increase in the cost of production, reducing profit farmers would have realized without climate change
The susceptibility of the plantfeeding insects like armyworm to predation and parasitism as influenced by climate change could decrease (Linda et al, 2010; Sikha et al, 2011): (1) Through the production of additional plant foliage or altered timing of herbivore life cycles in response to plant phenological changes; (2) If pest distributions shift into regions outside the distribution of their natural enemies; (3) Through adaptive management strategies adopted by farmers to cope with climate change and; (4) If the pest population grows quickly through their susceptible stage to predation or parasitism
Summary
Maize (Zea mays) is an important food crop in Nigeria, and it is fast becoming the most widely cultivated crop. Among the biotic constraints militating against maize production in Nigeria, armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is most devastating in recent times. The larvae of this insect pest are the culprits that caused damage to maize plants. The infestation level by armyworm on the field experienced by maize growers in recent times calls for great concern in Nigeria. This outbreak is not out of mere coincidence, but a result of numerous factors which is driven by climate change.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
