Wireworms: A Threat to Global Potato Farming

The issue of wireworm infestation, which was previously confined to certain high-risk areas, is now spreading to new regions and gaining momentum, creating an urgent crisis for potato farmers.

This is reported by AgroReview

This is discussed in an article by Luky Peters, editor of Potato News Today. Wireworms, which are the larval stage of click beetles (family Elateridae), are known for their ability to tunnel through potato tubers, causing significant damage and rendering crops unfit for consumption.

“Reports from Europe, North America, and other potato-growing regions confirm that wireworm populations are rapidly increasing, leading to substantial economic losses and storage issues,” emphasizes Luky Peters.

As traditional insecticides, such as chlorpyrifos, are gradually phased out, producers are forced to seek alternative control strategies. In Austria, for example, about 10% of the table potato crop—around 30,000 tons annually—is lost due to wireworm damage. In some cases, up to 50% of harvested potatoes are discarded due to infestation by this pest.

Farmers in the UK have also reported a significant increase in damage, even in fields that have been growing grass for a long time. This indicates that wireworms are adapting and spreading beyond traditional risk zones, complicating their population control.

In Canada, fields that previously had minimal wireworm infestation are now suffering from significant damage, indicating widespread ecological changes.

According to Peters, the rise in wireworm infestations is driven by three main factors: climate change, which creates favorable conditions for their development; reduced soil tillage; and increased cover cropping, which, while beneficial for soil health, creates ideal conditions for wireworm larvae. There is also a noted decline in natural predators, such as starlings and seagulls.

To reduce pest populations, Luky Peters recommends using solutions based on entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium brunneum, as well as entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora), which have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing damage by up to 30%. Agricultural practices are also important:

• Crop Rotation: avoid planting potatoes in fields that have recently been converted from grass or pasture.
• Soil Monitoring: use bait traps to detect and assess wireworm activity.
• Seeding Timing: adjusting planting schedules, if practically possible, can reduce the impact of wireworms during peak feeding periods.

It is expected that due to climate change, populations of some pests, including wireworms, will continue to rise.