Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane fly (commonly known as daddy-long-legs). They reach maturity in the spring, and feed on the roots and stems of grass or cereal plants and can cause significant loss of yield, seen in large bare patches.
A group of four Fermanagh farmers have teamed up with AgriSearch and Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) to investigate different strategies to control leatherjacket populations in grassland.
The project is one of seven taking place under the new Northern Ireland European Innovation Partnership (EIP) scheme, which has been co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Previously, chemical solutions were used to control infestations; however, chlorpyrifos products were withdrawn from sale in 2016, leaving farmers with no control options.
It's hoped the research will help develop simple strategies to help prevent infestations of leatherjackets on farms and minimise their effect.
The first step in the project will be to determine the current prevalence of leatherjackets on each of the participant farms through field sampling.
The results from this survey will allow links to be made with management techniques on-farm and will also be used to validate a weather-based model that predicts likely leatherjacket numbers.
AFBI entomologist Dr. Archie Murchie said: “This project, by determining the factors that influence leatherjacket prevalence on-farm, aims to propose a range of alternative Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that can be undertaken on-farm to reduce the risk of a leatherjacket infestation.
Ref: Agriland.co.uk/farming-news/new-farm-led-research-to-investigate-leatherjacket-control-strategies/
This YouTube video explains a simple sampling method you can carry out yourself to find out.
Another study in Scotland used garlic to reduce leatherjacket numbers, read more here:
https://www.agricology.co.uk/resources/leatherjacket-control