System of biological protection of corn against pests for organic farming

Federal Research Centre of Biological Plant Protection, Krasnodar, 350039, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: vlyaism@yandex.ru

Abstract

This study discusses promising methods of biological control of the main corn pests, based on the integrated use of pheromones, entomopathogenic preparations and the release of parasitic hymenoptera Trichogramma evanescens West. and Habrobracon hebetor Say. Seasonal dynamics of flying and the number of cotton moth Helicoverpa armigera Hbn. and Kuban click beetle Agriotes tauricus Heyd. were determined by capturing males with pheromone traps. Species composition of corn pests, the dynamics of flying and the number of dominant pests of the cotton moth H. armigera and corn moth Os. nubilalis are determined, the optimal dates for protective measures (release of entomophages - Trichogramma and Habrobracon, treatment with biological products) are set. As a result of the field assessment of the biological control system of the main corn pests, we determined the satisfactory efficacy of the mutually suppressing techniques based on using Trichogramma and Habrobracon entomophages and biological preparations based on entomopathogenic bacteria and viruses. The corn bioprotection efficacy against the stem corn moth was 84 % in the early hybrid and 94 % in the late one, against the cotton moth – 82,2 - 77,8 %, respectively.