The potentially effective use of entomophages against melon aphid, spider mite, tobacco thrips, and greenhouse whitefly has been demonstrated. The release rates of several entomophages have been proposed for protecting cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants from the aforementioned pests. The predatory mites Amblyseius montdorensis Schicha, Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans), and Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) were used to control the populations of thrips and greenhouse whiteflies. The dose of these entomophagous species applied was 8 to 10 individuals m–2 per plant every 3 wk. To fight spider mite, the predator Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias‐Henriot was used at the rate of 1 individual m–2 every 3 wk as a preventive measure. The parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck was released to suppress melon aphid (A. gossypii). The long‐term observations of the population dynamics of pests and the use of natural enemies to manage pests at the local level will enable us to adjust the dose of entomophages applied depending on the geographical location of the greenhouse facility, the regional climatic conditions, and weather conditions typical of certain years, etc. According to these factors, the results of this study are applicable to other greenhouse facilities with similar conditions. In future, the authors intend to elucidate an optimized method of using entomophagous species for farms located in warmer regions.

This work is dedicated to the study of the succession processes in quarries of different ages in the territory of the Russian Federation and neighbouring countries, namely, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. In selected soil samples from the areas studied, certain physical and chemical properties, the quantitative composition of microbial communities and the diversity of floral species from the quarries were studied. The pH values for the Kuzbass area were found to decrease to 4.8, and in the area of the younger quarries – Inguletsky and Sokolovsky – higher pH values were recorded. The basal soil respiration rate of the Kuzbass quarry was approximately 0.2 mg CO2/g/h. The CO2 carbonate content ranged from 0.05% to 0.6%. The microbial biomass in Kuzbass soil was from 0.87 to 5.10 μg C/g soil, while its quantity in other quarries was 6 times lower, which is associated with the relatively young age of these sites. The study of the diversity of floral species in the Kuznetsk coalfield identified 120 species of upper plants belonging to 34 families. Among them, cereals, legumes and mosses, lichens and algae were predominant. In the territory of Inguletsky and Sokolovsky quarries, the diversity of plant species was much poorer. In this regard, further research will focus on increasing the rate of succession and maintaining ecosystem stability by increasing the share of microorganisms. Also, the study of the possibility to accelerate the restoration of younger flora in the discharges of age careers at the expense of the mycorrhizal communities formation is of high relevance.