Monitoring Agriotes lineatus and A. obscurus in organic production using pheromone traps

Summary

Wireworms, particularly Agriotes lineatus and A. obscurus are becoming a problem in organic crop production causing economically severe damage on potatoes and other arable crops. Since pesticide application for direct control is not allowed in organic farming, reliable methods for quantifying wireworm infestation levels and forecasting damage are urgently needed for any control strategy. In the present work, the assessment of the range of attractiveness of pheromone traps to male A. lineatus and A. obscurus beetles was investigated in 2006 and 2007. The results indicated that the trap recovery rate of released beetles was more dependent on release distance than on time. Recovery rates greater than 40% were only noted for short release distances (up to 10 m), while less than 10% of the beetles released at a distance of 60 m returned to the traps. Recovery rates of click beetles were also negatively affected by cold and wet weather conditions. Most of the beetles were recovered within the first 3 days.