Kiribati is a country facing numerous economic, social, demographic and environmental challenges. It is a country with limited natural resources. Infertile soils, severely restricted land and water resources coupled with limited economic prospects renders Kiribati a developing nation. Kiribati’s population are geographically spread across 32 dispersed and isolated atolls and one raised coral island. Increased...

Armyworms are caterpillar pests of grass pastures and cereal crops. They are the only caterpillars that growers are likely to encounter in cereal crops, although occasionally native budworm will also attack grain when underlying weed hosts dry out.

The native budworm (Helicoverpa punctigera or, as it was known, Heliothis punctigera) is native to Australia and is distributed, particularly during spring, throughout much of the central and southern regions of the country. It is the major pest of all grain legumes, although pea weevil is equally important in field peas. It also attacks most...