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Wireworms are a common pest in organic potato crops. They are persistent and tough and so far, there are only indirect measures to control them. In the video, Giselher Grabenweger (Agroscope) provides an overview of approved methods to control the worms such as crop rotation and tillage. He also explains why potato varieties containing a lot of starch are less affected by wireworms. In addition to the indirect measures, Agroscope (together with Swiss and German partners) developed specific organic control options. As an enemy of wireworms the researchers found insecticidal fungi of the genus Metarhizium. In meadows, they observed a natural control of wireworms achieved by these soil fungi. The institute now tries to develop a method to apply the fungus successfully to the potato fields. In 2016, a first product received a provisional license in Germany and is practically tested on a small area. In Switzerland, a fungal product against wireworms will be available on the market in two to five years.
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