Enhancing Europe's readiness for managing fall armyworm, an invasive pest threat

The fall armyworm (FAW) is a highly invasive and polyphagous pest native to the Americas, first detected in Africa in 2016 and which has since spread globally, including western Asia. By late 2023, FAW had reached mainland Europe, with detections in Greece and Romania. This pest now presents a major threat to European agriculture, as climate change and increased trade increase the likelihood of its establishment or presence across wide areas of Europe. The aim of EUFAWREADY is to provide European agricultural stakeholders—including farmers, advisors, and phytosanitary services—with the tools they need to respond quickly and effectively to potential FAW outbreaks. This involves tools to detect the presence of the pest the earliest possible and to effectively and sustainably manage the pest, thus minimizing the economic, environmental and social impact and the reliance on synthetic pesticides. The specific objectives of EUFAWREADY are to: i) Raise awareness and improve stakeholder preparedness regarding FAW risks, and enhance their engagement in management efforts; ii) Generate new knowledge on the biology of European FAW populations, focusing on traits that enhance their invasiveness potential; iii) Assess the economic and environmental impacts FAW could have on Europe; iv) Provide effective strategies for early detection and monitoring of FAW; v) Investigate a diversified array of sustainable control options that could be offered to European farmers, including the use of FAW natural enemies, microbial agents, and plant-based and natural semiochemical solutions; vi) Integrate these management strategies into guidelines intended to plant health actors, and an IPM toolbox to be provided to European farmers and advisers; vii) Ensure the project's scientific and technical findings are widely shared, so stakeholders are fully informed on FAW risks and management strategies by the project's end.