Wireworms are becoming increasingly important in several states including Idaho. Among the possible reasons for this are the increased rotation with grasses for the cattle industry and the removal of insecticides with long residual activity in the soil. Three common species damage potatoes in the West: The sugarbeet wireworm, Limonius californicus, the Pacific Coast wireworm, L. canus, and the Great Basin wireworm, Ctenicera pruinina. Although crop losses from wireworms in Idaho are only sporadic, these could be significant (8-10%) in some places. In a study conducted at the U of I, Kimberly Research and Extension Center in 2001 and 2002, we compared a number of insecticide products applied pre-planting and at planting, as seed treatments, in-furrow, broadcast, and banded over the seed-piece. Both granular and liquid materials were applied at planting using a belt applicator for the granular material and a modified CO2 tank sprayer for the liquid materials. Results of these studies indicate reduction of wireworm feeding holes per tuber from the untreated check. However, in 2001 we observed a lack of significant control compared to the untreated check by some materials may be as a result of unusually high wireworm populations and unusual amounts of feeding not ordinarily seen in a commercial field. Results from the two years are presented.
Species 1: Coleoptera Elateridae Limonius californicus (sugarbeet wireworm)
Species 2: Coleoptera Elateridae Limonius canus (Pacific Coast wireworm)
Species 3: Coleoptera Elateridae Ctenicera pruinina (Great Basin wireworm)
Keywords: Wireworms, insecticides
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