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Genetic Engineering may not solve Africa’s fall armyworm problems

November 17, 2017 | Patti Mulligan

Fred Gould presented at the Entomology 2017 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO last week on the prospects of using GMO technology to help alleviate the issue of crop pests in Africa.

The fall armyworm which is a major pest of corn in the western hemisphere has become an invasive pest in Africa in the past few years. Some groups are calling for use of Bt corn as a solution.

In this video Dr. Gould describes why it would take great dedication and large resources in money and people to use this approach in an equitable and sustainable manner.

*Note: The opinions expressed in this presentation are those of Dr. Gould as an individual faculty member, and should not be taken as a reflection of the views of the whole of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center or NC State University.

Prospects for the use of transgenic maize in the management of fall armyworm in Africa

 

Session: Late-Breaking Symposium: Fall Armyworm in Africa: Status, Management Challenges, and Potential for Further Spread

Presented: Wednesday, November 8, 2017: 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM, CCC, Meeting Room 404

Abstract: The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is largely controlled in North and South America with transgenic maize varieties, but this pest is rapidly evolving resistance. How well this technology is transferable to the African context will be discussed. Maize farmers in Africa face many different contexts and constraints than the vast majority of maize farmers in North and South America. The past impacts of GE crops on resource-poor farmers and potential for the future will be explored. Also discussed will be some current cropping problems faced by these farmers for which GE varieties have been suggested as solutions but where a practical pathway toward implementation is not apparent.

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