Ecotoxicological reasonig for chemical protection systems of apple trees (Malus) against harmful organisms in the conditions of the Precarpathian province of the Carpathian mountain zone of Ukraine

Abstract

It was established that the most common phytophagous pests in apple orchards of the Precarpathian province of the Carpathian mountain zone of Ukraine in 2015–2020 were apple fruit borer, aphids, leafhoppers, mites, apple moth, flower eater and Epicometishirta Poda. The most common diseases of apple orchards in the studied area were scab, powdery mildew, fruit rot and moniliosis. On the basis of phytosanitary data, an improved and intensive system of chemical protection of apple orchards against a complex of harmful organisms was developed, which was adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the Precarpathian province of the Carpathian mountain zone of Ukraine. The system of intensive chemical protection, which included 12 treatments with chemical pesticides provided technical efficiency against pests and diseases from 86.5 to 97.1%, yield at the level of 26.5 t/ha, including 65.8% fruits first class. Using this system, they received a profit of UAH 85,042.10 from 1 ha and a profitability of 66.98%. The improved protection system ensured a reduction of the pesticide load on the garden ecosystem through the use of low-polarity pesticides. The yield when using the improved protection system was 26.1 t/ha, including 64.7% of the 1st grade, and the technical efficiency ranged from 83.5 to 95.2%. The application of this system made it possible to obtain a profit in the amount of UAH 87,336.89 from 1 ha, with a profitability level of 71.9%. The agro-ecotoxicological index for all protection systems was less than 1, that is, the studied protection systems are not very dangerous and do not lead to ecosystem pollution. For an intensive chemical protection system, this indicator ranged from 0.30 (Izon 0.7) to 0.85 (Izon 0.5). For the improved protection system, AETI ranged from 0.017 (Izon 0.7) to 0.041 (Izon 0.5).