Elaboration of an ecologized scab protection system and a biologized apple plant nutritional program

Abstract

Our work aimed to study the effectiveness of the combined use of various foliar fertilizers and protection products in tank mixtures for the scab suppression and their impact on productivity. The studies were carried out under the conditions of experimental plantations of the I.V. Michurin Federal Scientific Center according to generally accepted methods. We determined the biological effectiveness of the plant protection systems used, the formation of productivity components (fruit set, average fruit weight and yield per tree), the content of the main nutrients in the soil, leaves, and fruits. The application of a conventional plant protection system has contributed to better protection of apple trees from scab. The ecologized system has also provided a sufficiently high level of protection, which allows recommending it to producers. The introduction of ecologized protection systems that reduce the pesticide pollution of the environment requires various support measures for producers. The use of an ecologized system of foliar nutrition provided an increase in plant protection effectiveness, especially when combined with regular soil fertilizer application, as well as in optimizing the mineral composition of fruits. Biologization of soil nutrition is one of the most critical tasks for preserving soil fertility in intensive horticulture. The soil application of bacterial fertilizers contributed to a significant increase in productivity. The highest results were obtained when applying biological fertilizers together with reduced rates of mineral fertilizers.