Assembling Control Strategies for Fall Armyworms: Infrastructure, Invasive Networks, and Civic Science

This paper explores how Taiwanese farmers and government agencies collaboratively learned to manage and control the spread of fall armyworms, a highly aggressive invasive species. Since the first sighting in June 2019, this pest has rapidly spread across Taiwan, causing significant damage to a wide variety of crops. While insecticides remain the most effective method of control, alternative environmentally friendly approaches—such as pheromone traps and the release of natural predators—are still in development or under debate. Despite limited prior experience with this pest, Taiwanese farmers quickly adopted multiple strategies that effectively reduced the pest population and minimized crop damage to acceptable levels. This response has been notably successful compared to many neighboring countries also affected by fall armyworm invasions.

This study highlights how small-scale farmers adapted to this new agricultural threat. I analyze how human actors, non-human actors (including the worms and their predators), farming infrastructure, and socioeconomic forces have collectively shaped the "sociobiological networks" of fall armyworm invasion and its control. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and fieldwork. The findings reveal that while conventional insecticides played a key role in pest management, organic farmers contributed through intensive land management, coordinated surveillance programs, and flexible production schedules. Taiwan’s smaller average farm sizes also made it easier to implement these complex and evolving strategies within the local agricultural context. By examining the different control methods employed by both conventional and organic farmers, this paper enhances our understanding of the intricate relationships between humans, agricultural infrastructure, and nature.