b'C anadianP otatoC ounCilWirewormscause damage to many crops across Canada. In potatoes they eat holes in the tubers and reduce the overall quality of the crop. Adultwireworms are called click beetles. While the overarching goal is to create a centralized IPM manual, the groupWIREWORM RESEARCH TEAMis still completing research work such as isolating pheromones from wireworm species to use for monitoring populations.Christine Noronha at Charlottetown Research and DevelopmentCONTINUING RESEARCHCentre: researching insecticides, rotational crops biology, wireworm Pheromones are chemicals which females use to attract males. The research- and click beetle biology and behaviour, pheromones and surveying ers have learned what these pheromones are and are using them to attractpopulations in P.E.I.male click beetles, trap them and remove them from the population. However, Gerhard Gries at Simon Fraser University: extracting pheromonesthe known pheromones so far are mostly from European wireworm species, theand identifying themresearchers are working to identify pheromones from other species in Canada.Haley Catton at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre:The researchers have also looked into metarhizium as a biological controlresearching rotational crops for wireworms. There are large scale field trials being done to find if it works Ian Scott at the London Research and Development Centre: re-against all species of wireworms, or only specific species. searching insecticides and rotational cropsMy colleague has looked at using these pheromones to actually attract Wim van Herk at the Agassiz Research and Development Centre:click beetles to areas where there is metarhizium, Norohna says. researching insecticides, pheromones and surveying species across Research work is also still being done on rotational crops, new insecticidesCanadaand surveying of wireworm populations across the country. 26 SPUDSMART.COM FALL 2020'