10126179Natural wireworm control for potatoes in Cornwall and the UKClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKWireworm is a major pest of potatoes and other UK crops and a growing problem on my farm and other farms in the area. We used to be able to use insecticides to control the larvae, but increasing regulation is removing these products and we don't think they're likely to be replaced. The currently approved product that we are currently using to treat wireworms within our fields, under the commercial name Nemathorin, contains organophosphate which is not ideal for human health and carries significant risk factors to users and the environment. It is expensive and, in our opinion, not that effective. This project is a collaboration between our farming organisation Colwith Farm Potatoes (CFP) with Emerald Research (ERL) that will test the potential of adding prebiotic-rich and cost-effective soil amendments to encourage native soil microorganisms to 'attack' wireworm and suppress wireworm populations while acting to improve the soil health and improve the population of beneficial bacteria. We've seen the very positive results of other ERL bioactive solutions, so are keen to conduct some trials to test this new concept. We also hope the work leading to such a novel approach will significantly impact not only Cornwall farms but also the wider UK and will also create a model for crop protection practice against soil pests in general. Wireworm not only affects potatoes but also other major crops such as maize and grassland which can have significant effects on yield and crop survival.