The World Potato Congress Inc. will spotlight one of the industry’s most persistent soil pests in its upcoming webinar “Crop Rotation for WireWorm Control” on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. EDT (USA/Toronto).
The session will be presented by Dr Christine Noronha, research scientist in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Charlottetown Research and Development Centre on Prince Edward Island.
Wireworms – the larval stage of click beetles – continue to cause costly damage in potato crops. Their hidden lifestyle in the soil, broad host range and the shrinking list of effective insecticides make them a difficult target. This webinar will focus on how well-designed crop rotations can help bring wireworm pressure down to more manageable levels.
Why wireworm matters to potato growers
Wireworms spend several years in the soil, feeding on roots and underground plant parts. Potatoes are especially vulnerable: even relatively small feeding lesions on tubers can push a load outside market specifications, trigger downgrades or make the crop unmarketable.
The webinar summary notes that the cryptic behaviour of wireworm larvae, combined with their broad host range and limited insecticide options, makes managing this pest particularly challenging. Severe infestations can result in heavy financial losses or even complete crop failure in badly affected fields.
Against this backdrop, more growers are looking to rotation, cultural practices and integrated strategies rather than relying on chemistry alone.
What the webinar will cover
In response to the lack of reliable control tools, research has been conducted to evaluate the use of rotation crops as part of a longer-term wireworm management strategy. According to the organizers, results from this work show a marked decrease in the number of heavily infested fields, confirming the positive impact of carefully planned crop rotations.
During the webinar, Dr Noronha is expected to:
- Share key findings from multi-year rotation trials
- Explain which rotation crops and sequences have shown the most promise
- Discuss how long it takes to see a measurable impact on wireworm pressure
- Outline how rotation fits within a broader IPM framework for potatoes
The session is designed for growers, advisors and industry stakeholders who want practical, field-ready guidance on how to use crop rotation as a strategic tool against wireworm.
About Dr Christine Noronha
Dr Noronha is a research scientist in Entomology IPM at the Charlottetown Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PEI. Her work has focused on developing pest management strategies for major agricultural pests, with a strong emphasis on solutions that can be adopted under commercial conditions.
She is the inventor of the NELT™, a solar-powered trap for click beetles, has developed an effective crop rotation strategy for wireworm suppression, and designed the “Stem Crusher” for European corn borer control in potatoes. Her leadership in innovative pest management has had a significant impact on the agricultural sector, and she is frequently sought out for consultations, expert advice and presentations by growers, industry groups and fellow scientists in Canada and Europe.
Dr Noronha has received multiple recognitions for her contributions, including the Agrologist Recognition Award from the Prince Edward Island Institute of Agrologists and being named one of the Influential Women in Canadian Agriculture. She has published scientific papers, book chapters and fact sheets, and collaborates closely with researchers, consultants and farmers in Canada, Europe and the USA.
Registration
The World Potato Congress Inc. expresses its appreciation to Dr Noronha for contributing to its webinar series and sharing her expertise with the global potato community.
Those interested in attending can register at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SBlRoCqRRDqu2BaDgul4PQ#/registration
Source: World Potato Congress Inc
Image: Dr Christine Noronha