The aim of the project is to innovate the pest control strategies in pome fruit for integrated pest management (IPM) and organic farming, increase the quality of products, reduce the level of pesticide residues in products and standardize the analytical methods of detection of pesticide residues in fruit. The biological efficacy of selected pesticides, including new types of insecticides, microbial and botanical insecticides on pests of apples and pears will be evaluated. The side effects of insecticides on natural enemies will be evaluated. The methods of monitoring of insecticide effect on biodiversity of arthropods will be developed and verified. New pest management strategies in apples and pears will be proposed to minimize the incidence of residues of pesticides in fruit and increase the effectiveness of pest control and decrease the negative effect of residues of pesticides on the environment. For the organic production of apples and pears, the knowledge about the efficacy of biological and no chemical methods of pest control will be obtained. The quality of fruit from organic farming will be evaluated, including the content of natural contaminants as patulin. New analytical methods of detection of pesticides and natural contaminants in apples and pears will be developed.

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