Managing Wireworms in Florida Sweet Potatoes

Robert Hochmuth, Dakshina Seal, Norman Leppla, Daniel Fenneman, Rhoda Broughton, and Anil Baniya

Release Date: 11/4/2021

Reviewed At: 12/5/2022

DOI: 10.32473/edis-in1339-2021

Agriculture

Abstract

This publication describes current methods for managing wireworms in sweet potato. Wireworms, the larvae of click beetles, are the most damaging insect pests of those that infest the foliage and roots. Soil tillage and crop rotation can suppress populations of these root pests but adequate management requires diligent surveillance and the use of insecticides. Describes new research on managing wireworms with alternative insecticide active ingredients and entomopathogenic nematodes.

About this Publication

This document is ENY-2068 one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2021. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

About the Authors

Robert Hochmuth, regional specialized Extension agent – northeast, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center Suwannee Valley; Dakshina Seal, research scientist, Entomology and Nematology Department; Norman Leppla, professor, Entomology and Nematology Department; Daniel Fenneman, county Extension director and Extension agent, UF/IFAS Extension Madison County; Rhoda Broughton, regional specialized Extension agent – northeast, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center Suwannee Valley; and Anil Baniya, graduate student, Entomology and Nematology Department; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611

How to Cite

Hochmuth, R., Seal, D., Leppla, N., Fenneman, D., Broughton, R., & Baniya, A. (2021). [IN1339] Managing Wireworms in Florida Sweet Potatoes. EDIS, 2021(6). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in1339-2021

Authors

De Broughton

former Extension agent II, M.S., regional specialized agent for agronomic crops, UF/IFAS Extension Northeast District; UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Extension Center, Suwannee Valley, Live Oak FL