Hello Hivers, this year I planted maize on my farm land (1st planting ) around January which is doing really well. The second planting however was doing quite well on their early stages but recently i started seeing them looking like this
This kind of damage is typically caused by pests, most likely:
- Fall Armyworm which is the most common pest causing such damage. The larvae chew on leaves, creating irregular holes and scraped white patches, just like what’s visible in the photo.
- Beetles – They can also cause similar streaky damage by feeding between the upper and lower leaf surfaces.
Thrips or Mites – While less likely, these tiny pests can create silvery or white streaks on leaves.
Snails which most times feed on the leaves to survive. I even saw most of them.
Well some of the contributing factors i noticed was intercropping.
Intercropping with certain crops like yam which i did can sometimes increase pest habitat if not managed properly.
And i will try to avoid this during the next planting season.
And also because of my busy schedule i did not pay much attention to them during the past week which worsen their condition. So proper attention to our farm is important. This will help us identify the first sign of pest attack.
Important tips:
Inspect the whorl (center of maize) for larvae or frass (caterpillar droppings).
Use biopesticides like neem or chemical insecticides like Emamectin benzoate, Spinosad, or Lambda-cyhalothrin.
For me i used the insecticide called Kabadii
Its has proven to be very effective. The dosage is also written at the back of the bottle. So depending on your farm size apply the right dosage.
Use a sprayer to apply into the center of the maize plant.
After a week or two the maize should become healthy again
Practice crop rotation and avoid continuous maize planting on the same land.
Thanks for reading!