Syngenta Collaborates with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for a New Wireworm Survey

Syngenta Canada and renowned wireworm experts, Bob Vernon and Wim van Herk (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada), have come together to survey and document the different species and distribution of wireworms here in Canada.

Syngenta has distributed 2000 Cruiser Maxx® Bait Ball Kits to cereal growers across Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. These kits contain everything needed to make bait balls – balls made out of oatmeal and honey that are buried in the ground and release CO2 gasses to attract and trap wireworms.

The Cruiser Maxx Bait Ball Kit includes items such as oatmeal, honey, a shovel, pin flags and plastic containers to collect wireworm samples. The kit also includes a Wireworm Field Guide which provides information on how to identify and control wireworms (this guide is available on www.SyngentaFarm.ca).

Growers are asked to send a sample of the live wireworms trapped in their bait balls to Drs. Vernon and van Herk who will then analyze the samples and identify hotspots for different wireworm species. Once the hotspots have been identified, a wireworm species map will be created and made available to growers, retailers and agronomists. This will be an invaluable tool for plotting the type and severity of wireworm infestations in different areas, helping farmers determine their crop rotations, seed care, and crop protection options.

Wireworms are a growing concern for cereal and pulse growers across Canada. The insect lives in the soil and can feed on large numbers of seeds. Growers are often unaware they have a wireworm infestation until there are large patches of missing seedlings in their field. Cruiser Maxx dual-action seed treatment include both a fungicide that protects against seed and soil-borne diseases and the insecticide, thiamethoxam, which protects against wireworm feeding by intoxicating the wireworms throughout the establishment stage of cereals and pulses. Cruiser Maxx Cereals and Cruiser Maxx Pulses are available in 2010 to help farmers manage wireworm damage in the field.