Field Efficacy of Microbial and Botanical Insecticides Against the Fall Armyworm on Maize in Serere District, Uganda

The recent introduction of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has significantly impacted maize production among smallholder farmers. Due to the harmful effects of the chemical insecticides (Metarhizium anisopliae, Mazao Achieve ® ICIPE 78, and Mazao Tickoff ® ICIPE 7), and Neem was tested in the field as a cheaper and safer alternatives. Experiments with treatments arranged in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 4 replicates were conducted in the first (March-June) and second season (September-December) 2024 at Pingire Sub-county, Serere District, Uganda. S.frugiperda incidence, level of damage, larval populations, grain yield, and economic viability were measured. The results showed that the treated plots had reduced incidence, damage, and larval populations with significantly higher yield gain compared to untreated plots in both seasons. The incidence for the Striker, Achieve, and Tickoff was 22.50, 38.33, 52.50, and 30.83, 79.17, and 87.50 in the first and second seasons, respectively. The average number of larvae per plant for Striker, Achieve, and Tickoff was 0.43, 1.25, 1.81, and 0.60, 1.80, 2.45 in the first and second seasons, respectively. Grain yield was generally higher on treated plots as compared to untreated plots, with the exception of the Neem leaf extract. The percentage yield gain for Striker, Tickoff, and Achieve was 64.45, 28.60, and 24.86% respectively during the first season, and 53.27, 17.49, and 18.28% respectively during the second season. The three treatments, Striker, Achieve, and Tickoff, had a corresponding BCR>1 in both seasons. Achieve and Tickoff showed a higher degree of efficacy and economic viability for managing the S.frugiperda and could be explored by smallholder maize farmers; however, their use and application should follow an integrated management approach. Further research is needed to assess their effectiveness in various environments, with other treatments, local isolates, and concentrations