Efficacy of “Fitoverm, BE” biopreparation in protection of apple trees from aphids

Abstract

The effectiveness of the biopreparation “Fitoverm, CE” in protecting a young apple orchard in 2021 (October) from green (Aphis pomi) and gray (red-gallic) apple aphid (Dysaphis devecta) was studied. The research was conducted in the educational garden of the Orel State Agrarian University in 2023–2024. The scheme of the experiment included two factors: A — varieties (Orel striped and Veteran), B — doses of an insecticide of biological origin “Fitoverm, CE” based on aversectin C (0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 l/ha). Treatment with the drug “Fitoverm, CE” was carried out in the first decade of May, accounting — on the 7th, 14th and 21st days. In the garden, the calculations were carried out visually. On 5 trees of each variety, 20 young shoots located on different sides were evaluated. In laboratory studies, a Levenhuk STX RC1 remote-controlled microscope was used, the country of manufacture is China for Levenhuk, Inc. (USA). The magnification is 200 times. The varietal specificity of the Orlovskoye striped and Veteran apple trees in relation to the population of Aphis pomi and Dysaphis devecta was revealed. The Oryol striped variety is more attractive as a food resource compared to the Veteran variety. A sufficiently high population of aphids (52.18%) of young shoots of the Orlovskoye striped apple variety in the control variant led to a decrease in the average length of branch growth by 58.1% compared with uninhabited ones. According to the Veteran variety, the population was lower (34.22%), so the growth of branches decreased to a lesser extent and amounted to 42.5%. A large number of entomophages were noted in the agrocenosis of the apple orchard, among which the imagos Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata and Coccinella septempunctata, their larvae and larvae of Cecidomyiida and Syrphidae prevailed. The best result in terms of “biological efficiency” was obtained at a maximum rate of consumption of a biological product of 0.8 l/ha and amounted to 85.6% for the Orlovskoye striped variety, 86.7% for the Veteran variety.