EMERALD Research Ltd (ERL) and a South West potato grower have won an 18-month Innovate UK project to tackle wireworm damage in potatoes.
The £56,000 project will evaluate several soil improvers that are rich in prebiotic polysaccharides and other naturally-occurring, environmentally-safe biochemicals. These have initially shown positive results in stimulating the reproduction and development of normal soil microflora as well as providing antagonism or deterrence to wireworms.
Since Mocap® (ethoprophos) was withdrawn from the market in 2019 due to its high soil toxicity, farmers and growers have been left with trying to mitigate wireworm damage by cultural means and by using products based on specific botanical extracts with biocide activity, which has had inconsistent results. Potato losses to wireworm can range from 15-35%
Southern England is known to have an increasing wireworm issue, which is also thought to be spreading north and ERL is undertaking field-scale trials in the South West, testing three different candidate products. The project will look to document a post-treatment level of wireworms in the fields, while also recording the effects on soil health, tuber damage and marketable crop yield.
Wireworms are the larvae stage of the Click beetle and can remain in the soil for up to five years. A field can be home to all stages of the wireworm lifecycle, all feasting on roots, tubers and organic matter in the soil.
