By Tyler Towles, Wilson, Blake, Huang, Fangneng, Stout, Michael J.
LSU AgCenter
The 2021 crop growing season presented many challenges for Louisiana producers, but none as remarkable as the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) infestations that occurred beginning in late June and extending through August. Although the fall armyworm has been a major pest of maize and other crops across North and South America for many years, problems with this pest were more severe and widespread in 2021 than almost any other year in memory.