Identify innovative solutions for monitoring and forecasting wireworm (Agriotes spp.) in potato crops to improve sustainability for English farmers (DETECT-PEST)

In the UK, approximately 5.5 million tonnes of potatoes are grown every year with around 64% of growers in England (AHDB, 2021). Typically, 40% of fresh potatoes do not meet customer specification, with around 20% being attributed to damage from the field including pest.

Wireworm is becoming a major pest issue in potato farming as chemicals previously used to eradicate are being withdrawn from the market. Infestations usually go undetected, unless uncovered through small scale crop sampling, frequently too late to protect/recover affected crop.

Our project will focus on identifying technology solutions to detect, quantify and forecast wireworm activity.