Natural and semi-synthetic insecticides protect onion from wireworms Agriotes spp. larvae (wireworm) damage
Abstract
Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles (Elateridae: Agriotes spp.), pose a
significant threat to global agriculture, particularly to root vegetables, such as onion.
Their subterranean lifestyle, as well as the withdrawal of some traditional synthetic
insecticides, make them challenging to control. Therefore, this research aimed to
compare the effects of natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic insecticides in controlling
wireworm damage in an onion field.
A field trial for testing the effects of different insecticidal treatments on plant
density, wireworm damage (%) and total onion yield, was conducted at the Institute
for Vegetable Crops (Smederevska Palanka, Serbia) in 2024. The experiment consisted
of six treatments: an untreated control, three natural insecticides (two formulations
of spinosad a.i. - granular and liquid, and Beauveria bassiana ATCC 74040 2.3×107
conidiospores/ml), a semi-synthetic insecticide (a.i. spinetoram) and a synthetic
insecticide (a.i. tefluthrin). The insecticides were applied during planting, following
their label application rates per hectare. Assessments were conducted 20 and 42 days
after treatment (DAT) to determine plant density. Wireworm damage was specifically
evaluated 42 DAT, and yield was calculated by weighing the harvested onion bulbs. The
results showed that the granular spinosad formulation, applied in furrows at planting,
significantly increased plant density 20 DAT, while its liquid formulation, applied as
a soil treatment during planting, resulted in the lowest density. Spinetoram showed
the highest plant density 42 DAT and the highest percentage of wireworm damage
(15%) of all insecticides tested. The control had the highest percentage of damaged
plants and the lowest yield. Onion yield was at the maximum after treatment with
spinetoram, whereas the lowest yield was achieved after treatment with the granular
spinosad formulation.
Field trials show that natural and semi-synthetic insecticides can effectively
control wireworms, ensuring adequate crop protection and viable yields. This
study supports developing and adopting environmentally conscious soil pest
management.
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