Canadian researchers looking for new ways to combat wireworm

Researchers on P.E.I. and in Alberta are looking for new ways to kill wireworms before the larvae destroy farmer's crops.

Christine Norohna from Agriculture Canada has already done some research using buckwheat and brown mustard as rotation crops. She said researchers plan to expand on that, and look at some other possibilities.

“Come up with a management strategy that we could give to the growers and say ‘you could use this and it would help you reduce your populations,’” Norohna said.

Wireworm is an expensive problem. In 2009, close to $3 million was paid to Island farmers who lost crops to the pest.