Biological protection of winter wheat plants in the organic farming system

Goal. To determine the technical and economic efficiency of the action of different methods of biological protection of winter wheat plants against diseases and pests in the organic farming system of the Southern Steppe zone of Ukraine. Methods. Field (establishing an experiment, conducting treatments), visual (recording plant damage by diseases and pest infestation), mathematical-statistical (reliability of research results using the Agrostat program), comparative-calculation (calculation of technical and economic efficiency), analytical (identification of similarities or differences), supplemented by measurements and observations following generally accepted methods and methodological recommendations in agriculture and plant growing. Results. In all years of research, winter wheat plants were affected to some extent by septoria spot (Septoria tritici Desm), brown (Puccinia recondita West)) and yellow (Puccinia striiformis West) rust. The technical efficiency of biological fungicides against them was 30.8–42.5; 17.6–44.6 and 41.7–55.0%, respectively. The best fungicidal effect was provided by biological preparations of the Engineering and Technological Institute (ETI) “Biotechnics” of the NAAS (Fluorescin BT, Biospectr BT), and preparations of “BTU-center” (Azotofit, FitoHelp, Gumifriend), the technical efficiency of which against fungal diseases was 39.4–53.3 and 42.4–55.0%. Among the pests, winter wheat crops were colonized by the harmful beetle (Eurygaster integriceps Put.), cereal aphid (Sitobion avenae F.), wheat thrips (Haplothrips tritici Kurd), and, in some years, the grain beetle (Anisoplia austriaca Hrbst.). The technical efficiency of biological preparations against them was 28.2–34.0; 31.9–36.3; 48.7–55.3 and 33.0–47.5%, respectively. The highest technical efficiency against the main pests on winter wheat crops was provided by the bioinsecticides Bitoxibacillin-BTU (BTU-center company) and Biospectr BT together with Metarizin BT (ETI “Biotechnics” of NAAS) — 32.9–53.6 and 34.5–55.3%, respectively. Conclusions. The use of biological preparations for plant nutrition and protection during seed treatment and vegetation contributed to the preservation of 0.47–0.79 t/ha of winter wheat grain.