Lallemand Inc.

Published purpose

Potato is the largest vegetable crop produced in Canada, with almost 5 million tonnes every year. Wireworms, the larva of the click beetles [Elatiridae] cost farmers an estimated 6 million dollars annually in pest management measures and crop losses. Many insecticides are ineffective and do not have long enough residuals to protect harvestable tubers. Thus, new control measures are being saught. An environmentally-friendly pest control product based on Metarhizium fungus is in development and will be applied either as in-furrow band or spot applications during potato planting to protect harvested tubers from wireworm feeding damage. The efficacy of the Metarhizium will be compared to other pest control products in the laboratoy and field.