b"CANADIAN POTATO COUNCILReducing the Wireworm ThreatAs a national wireworm research project wraps, growers have more ways to control the pest.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONWHEN CHRISTINE NORONHA first started researching wireworms more than a decade ago, there wasnt much known about the pest and how it affected potato crops in Canada. All growers and people in the industry knew was that wireworms were wreaking havoc on their potato fields.We've learned a lot more about the insect. And we've actually reached a point where we are developing tools now that growers can use, Noronha, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) explains in a phone interview.The project initially started in 2018 and is set to wrap early next year. Its part of the Canadian Potato Council with the Canadian Horticultural Council cluster projects funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Throughout the course of the past four years the wireworm research team, led by Noronha, has tested various tools that can be used to control the pest across the country.This wasnt the first research cluster project thoughin two previous clusters, Noronhas team were able to study the efficacy of chemical products available for wireworm control that helped Health Canadas Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) approve new products for use in Canada. The group also completed comprehensive surveys of wireworm populations across the country, helping growers to understand how much of a problem the pests are. Theyve also done extensive work on wireworm control through methods such as rotational crops and biological control.Wireworms have a long-life cycle. The adults come out in the spring, lay their eggs and then dieover the course of two months. Once the eggs are laid, the larvae, which are called wireworms, hatch and then grow into adults called click beetles.Christine Noronhas research group has found that using mustard as a The wireworms live in the ground, under the soil, for as long asrotation crop can help reduce wireworm damage. PHOTO: CHRISTINE NORONHAtwo to five years, depending on the species. In potatoes they eat holes in tubers reducing the overall quality of the crop.We found that (Cimegra) actually kills them, it doesn't just Finding Tools to Control Wireworms paralyze them. Because the majority of the products that we Noronhas team have tested and found a wide variety of methodshad before that we were testing, it would give some protection to control wireworm populations from coast to coast. The controlto the crop, but it wasn't killing the wireworm. So, we were not methods range from chemical treatments to rotational crops. reducing the population in any way, Noronha says.In late 2020 it was announced the PMRA had approved theThe group also experimented with various rotation crops registration of broflanilide. The Group 30 insecticide, sold asdiscovering which ones would help suppress wireworm the insecticide Cimegra by BASF, had been long awaited. It waspopulations. In previous studies it was found buckwheat and available for in-furrow application for the 2021 season offeringmustard worked, but they wanted more information on just how in-season control as well as population control over difficultwell these crops worked and how much of the crop you need to to manage chewing insects such as wireworms. Noronhasplant in a crop mix.team were involved in testing Cimegra as part of the PMRAThe reason for doing this research was to see if these crops registration. can be used in a crop mix because growers were worried about 14SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2022"