Wireworm Management of the Future – the Introduction of Biocontrols
Citation
Kabaluk, T. 2023. Wireworm Management in the Future – the Introduction of Biocontrols. Proceedings of the Regenerative Agriculture and Growers’ Short Course. January 26-28, Abbotsford, BC. ISSN 2560-7561.
Plain language summary
In a three-year rotation potato production cycle, there is an opportunity to control wireworms or their click beetle adults at each stage of the cycle. During crop rotation years, beetles can be controlled using and attract (using AAFC proprietary pheromone granules) and kill (AAFC proprietary insect fungal pathogen Metarhizium brunneum LRC112) method, or mating disruption using pheromone granules alone. Larvae might be controlled by planting the rotational crop with Metarhizium granules. During the cropping year, Metarhizium granules can be applied in-furrow during seeding to control the wireworms. In refugia (the semi-wildlands surrounding fields), both pheromone granules and Metarhizium can be applied using a drone to target the beetles.
Abstract
In a three-year rotation potato production cycle, there is an opportunity to control wireworms or their click beetle adults at each stage of the cycle. During crop rotation years, beetles can be controlled using and attract (using AAFC proprietary pheromone granules) and kill (AAFC proprietary insect fungal pathogen Metarhizium brunneum LRC112) method, or mating disruption using pheromone granules alone. Larvae might be controlled by planting the rotational crop with Metarhizium granules. During the cropping year, Metarhizium granules can be applied in-furrow during seeding to control the wireworms. In refugia (the semi-wildlands surrounding fields), both pheromone granules and Metarhizium can be applied using a drone to target the beetles.