Governance

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is one of the most important agricultural insect pests worldwide. We strongly believe that pest-control programs must be inter- and multidisciplinary, covering different aspects of pests and management methods, from taxonomy to field control. These programs should be holistic but with a single target: to solve pest problems. The creation and structuring of a portal to link different institutions, from different countries, working in different areas, aligns closely with our inter- and multidisciplinary approach. 

As professors and researchers of the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ) of the University of São Paulo (USP), the host institution of the São Paulo Advanced Research Center for Biological Control (SPARCBio), we are highly motivated to participate in this initiative because the life history and biological control of this armyworm is one of our main research topics. We believe that the rapid exchange of information that this portal will enable can accelerate the development of remediation measures or even solutions for the S. frugiperda problem. We are very excited about the possibility of sharing our findings with a more interested and focused public. We envision building a strong network of researchers, extension agencies and students worldwide. 
We hope that the portal will succeed in its proposal and that, as members of the Portal steering committee and as users, we can benefit from this highly important initiative by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI). Our sincere wish is that this tool will lead to a quantum leap in armyworm management worldwide.