Effective Management Strategies for Wireworm in Potatoes

Wireworm in potatoes, the larvae of click beetles, have remained a hard nut to crack among potato farmers in Europe. Their feeding habits can pose a great threat to farmers because they feed on cloves by boring holes on the surface of potato tubers making the produce uneconomic. One such story comes from a farmer from Lower Saxony in Germany, further details involve a farmer who used to battle with the wireworms, understanding potato wireworm lifecycle until he embraced sustainable pest management techniques. This blog outlines farmer’s path and provides hands-on tips for wireworm operatives and available sustainable solutions, including Novobac’s Met-Zone Granular Insecticide. How to get rid of wireworms? Well, this post can be the guide!

Farmers encountering Wireworm in Potatoes

An organic potato farmer from Lower Saxony initially relied on crop rotation for wireworm control using traditional methods. Despite efforts, wireworm damage persisted, causing stunted plants and potatoes riddled with small holes over time. Conventional analysis failed to resolve the problem, leaving the farmer frustrated by the ongoing wireworm infestations. Seeking lasting solutions, the farmer adopted monitoring programs, cultural practices, and biological control products together. These practices ensured effective pest management without compromising soil health or the organic integrity of the farm.

How to Identify and Understand Wireworms? Knowing Wireworm life cycle

Wireworm looks and life cycle

Adults: Brown or black, 10–15 mm long click beetles.

Wireworm Larvae: Many of these are hard-bodied, yellowish-brown, cylindrical, and live in the soil.

Lifecycle: Wireworms are pests of major horticultural crops consisting of beetles that take three to five years to complete their life cycle underground while the larval stage feed on roots and tubers.

Symptoms of Damage

Potato Tubers: Very small round orifices which cause the value of the market to decline.

Plants: Effects that are as a result of the root damage include stunted growth.

Seasonal Activity

Wireworms are most likely to be found in their early and late stages in the spring and fall respectively and this is when they should be most closely watched and controlled.

Economic Impact on European Potato Farmers

There were crop losses from wireworms in Lower Saxony and the Netherlands and many other regions of Europe. In heavy infestations, losses can reach as high as 30% of the crops, due to outright crop rejection by the market. The identified pests also present additional challenges for many organic farmers, wireworms for instance are tough to manage organically due to their long life cycle and they are soil inhabitants.

Managing the Pest with Sustainable Solutions and Knowing How to Get Rid of Wireworms: Farmer’s Approach

The farmer from Lower Saxony integrated different monitoring tools, cultural behavioural approach and biological control practice as an IPM strategy. Below are the steps they followed:

1. Trapping and Monitoring

The farmer employed germinated wheat or corn in bait traps to check on the abundance of wireworms on the farm. Farmers set snap traps during the pre-tillering stage to assess infestation levels and risks early in the season.

2. Cultural Practices

Crop Rotation: The farmer intercropped the potatoes with other crops that are less inclined to the pests such as beans.

Soil Ploughing: Wireworms came across predators and vulnerability to environmental conditions when they were ploughed in early spring.

Cover Crops: It was found that mustard, which is widely used for repelling wireworms, was sown as a green manure.

3. Biocontrol through Met-Zone Granular Insecticide

The farmer considered Met-Zone potato wireworm insecticide from Novobac as a biological control in his pest control strategy. This new product utilises the active ingredient Metarhizium anisopliae; a soil beneficial fungus that controls wireworms, cutworms and grubs; pests that pose a big threat to crops. To learn more about Metarhizium anisopliae you may go here.

Product Overview:

Met-Zone targets wireworms at the larval stage, providing a lethal effect while remaining a safe, green solution. Its fungal spores parasitize and poison the targeted soil pests without

negatively affecting beneficial microorganisms and the general structure of the soil making it suitable for use in conventional and organic farming.

Application Strategy:

Organic Farming Integration:

The farmer adopted organic farming, using Novobac’s organic insecticide to suppress wireworms effectively and sustainably. Novobac’s insecticide maintained the farm’s organic status, preventing pests from violating essential organic farming regulations. The farmer shared, “Met-Zone showed I could protect my crop while adhering to organic farming guidelines.” NovaBac’s solution empowers sustainable farming by balancing pest control and compliance with organic regulations effortlessly.

Results: Land Use Management Recreation and Natural Resources: A Sustainable Path to Healthy Potato Crops

When using Met-Zone in conjunction with crop rotation and proper management of the soil, the farmer was able to minimize loss from wireworm attack by 70%. Consumers’ acceptance of the produce improved since it was officially organic, and the farm remained in compliance with the environment.

Conclusion

The following case shows that the biological control method involving Novobac’s Met-Zone and cultural management effectively protects the potato crop against the T. absoluta. Not only was the farm protecting the potatoes, it was also protecting the soil health and maintaining years of crop rotation in an organic nature system.

Potato farmers struggling with wireworm infestations can take similar steps: crop: rotating, soil: assessing, and biocontrol: Metarhizium anisopliae. This makes a balance between pest control and environmental management in an effective and efficient way.

Pest management rooted in scientific research and farmers’ practical experience ensures long-lasting, effective pest control solutions. Wireworms in potatoes developed a strong preference for Met-Zone, proving its effectiveness against this pest challenge. Farmers facing similar physiological pest issues are advised to integrate Met-Zone into their pest management strategies. Using Met-Zone promotes sustainable farming practices and maximizes long-term crop yields for better financial returns.

Reading this post can always answer your question about how to get rid of wireworms sustainably for sure. Just know the wireworm life cycle to tackle it at all the levels easily!

References:

1. Kabaluk, Todd, et al. “Promise versus performance: working toward the use of Metarhizium anisopliae as a biological control for wireworms.” IOBC WPRS BULLETIN 30.7 (2007): 69.
2. Tharp, Cecil I., Sue L. Blodgett, and Stefan Jaronski. “CONTROL OF WIREWORM (ELATERIDAE) IN POTATOES WITH MICROBIAL METARHIZIUM, 2006.” Arthropod Management Tests 32.1 (2007): E43.