This Technological Regulation establishes an environmentally safe integrated system for protecting apple orchards from diseases, pests, and weeds while maximizing the use of domestically produced plant protection products. It is based on assessments of the phytosanitary condition of commercial orchards cultivated under both standard and intensive (high-density) production systems. The study identified the principal threats to apple production, including aphids, mites, codling moths, sawflies, leafrollers, powdery mildew, scab, anthracnose, fruit rot, and various weed species, and highlighted differences in pest and disease pressure depending on orchard management practices. The Regulation provides a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) program covering both dormant and growing seasons. It combines preventive measures such as pruning, sanitation, destruction of infected trees and plant material, rodent control, monitoring, and the use of biological agents with targeted applications of domestically produced fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides. Detailed treatment schedules are organized according to apple growth stages and specify recommended products, application rates, and intervention thresholds for controlling insects, mites, fungal and bacterial diseases, and weeds. Special emphasis is placed on reducing dependence on imported pesticides through the extensive use of domestic chemical and biological products, while maintaining environmental safety and effective crop protection. Field tests conducted in commercial orchards in Minsk Region demonstrated that the proposed system significantly reduced pest populations, disease incidence, and weed infestation. Biological control effectiveness ranged from approximately 79% to 100% against major pests and from 53% to 96% against key diseases, while weed suppression reached up to 99.5% in intensive orchards. The improved protection systems increased fruit yields by 62–89 centners per hectare compared with conventional practices, improved the share of marketable fruit, generated substantial additional income, and reduced reliance on imported crop protection products. The authors conclude that the technology is competitive with international standards because it combines high biological and economic effectiveness with environmental safety and achieves domestic product usage rates exceeding 92–94% of total plant protection inputs.
Bélarus · 2018-01-01