Spotting the needle in a haystack: Predicting wireworm activity in topsoil for integrated pest management in arable crops

General introduction

Can we better understand and and identify agriculturally harmful wireworms (a type of soil-dwelling larvae) at the European level? That research question is being addressed in the European ElatPro project, which in Flanders is a useful extension of an ongoing IWT project at ILVO. Several species of wireworm (i.e., larvae of the click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae)) are polyphagous and can damage various agricultural crops, such as potato and maize. This project brought together 14 partners from six different countries, specifically Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France and Belgium. The aim of the project was to look for key elements that can explain the complex behavior of wireworms in the soil.

Research approach

Wireworms, which belong to the genus Agriotes, are difficult to identify. Within ElatPro, ILVO was responsible for developing a Loop-mediated Isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) method to quickly and accurately identify wireworm species in the field. Wireworms were collected from Belgium, Austria, Germany, France and Switzerland, and DNA was rapidly extracted using a lysis buffer. The DNA obtained was then used in LAMP experiments. A specific LAMP assay could be developed for Agriotes sputator. In addition, a LAMP method was developed that detected both Agriotes lineatus and Agriotes obscurus. However, it was not possible to develop separate specific LAMP tests for the other species.

Relevance/Valorisation

The ILVO-developed LAMP test was validated on Agriotes wireworms from different geographical origins. The ElatPro project provided an excellent opportunity for ILVO, through its network of European partners, to enrich its expertise on wireworms. This project will ultimately serve as a solid foundation for future research on identification of wireworms and development of control methods.