THE DEVELOPMENT OF BAITING TECHNIQUES TO DETECT WIREWORMS (AGRIOTES SPP, COLEOPTERA, ELATERIDAE) IN THE FIELD, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEENBAIT-TRAP CATCHES AND WIREWORM DAMAGE TO POTATO

The use of vegetable and cereal food baits as an alternative to soil s ampling for detecting wireworms (Agriotes spp.) in field soils was inv estigated in two field experiments in 1993. A simple cereal-baited tra p was found to be at least as effective as traditional soil sampling m ethods for identifying the presence of wireworms. A further two experi ments in 1994 investigated different trap designs and the duration of the trapping period. Damage assessment experiments carried out at thre e sites indicated that pre-planting wireworm catches at bait traps can not be used to predict the subsequent level of wireworm damage to pota to crops. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.