DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF HARMFUL ORGANISMS IN PLANT PRODUCTION IN ORDER TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE AND TO IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY

Research goal is development of technology of plant protection from harmful organisms based on the improvement of plant production and storage, disease diagnosis, low pesticide application integrated with natural compounds and biocontrol agents as well as on the improvement of existing formulations and development of new plant protection products. Improvement of fruit production will include study of effects of cultivar selection, growing conditions, fruit characteristics and range of pathogenic organisms, on fruit yield and quality during the season and storage (WP1). Adoption of new methods for studying of harmful organisms will improve diagnostic protocols for the most important plant diseases and detection of quarantine organisms (WP2, 3). Research will focus on monitoring the occurrence and spread of harmful organisms, especially those resistant to pesticides, and on the determination of damage thresholds and adequate control measures. Solution development will be based on “low pesticide” approach and study of integration potential of synthetic and natural compounds with biocontrol agents and other factors, in development of efficient and sustainable protection strategies (WP1, 2, 3, 4). Improvement of existing and development of new plant protection products will also contribute to the low pesticide approach (WP5). Attention will be paid to essential oils as natural compounds and development of new eco-toxicologically acceptable plant protection products (WP1, 2, 4, 5).