Overview
The Puffin discussion group project, covering Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire is titled “Developing sustainable wireworm control through Integrated Pest Management.” In collaboration with Fera Science’s wider UK project, the group is monitoring wireworm and click beetle populations under commercial farming conditions, validating DNA metabarcoding for faster species identification, assessing risks linked to soil type, crop rotations, climate, and landscape characteristics, and tests controls such as cover crops, seed mixes, and methods for encouraging natural predators. Expected outcomes include more cost-effective species identification, improved understanding of field-level risks, and evidence-based pest-management recommendations.