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Restriction of cruciferous pests and favouring of beneficial insects in the development of ecological-economical cultivating technologies of oil-seed cropsCruciferous oil-seed crops have gained more importance not only in Estonia but also in the entire world. Oil-bearing plants have become a valuable source of food, forage and also for production of nature-sparing fuels. These plants are suitable cultures in the crop rotation. Since the expansion of the growing area of cruciferous plants has caused an increase in the abundance of pests, a great part of the expenditure goes on purchasing pesticides. During last decades the sustainable and organic agriculture has started to receive more attention, by renouncing chemical pesticides it is endeavoured to guarantee a pollution free production. In the sustainable and organic agriculture of cruciferous plants a maximum realisation of naturally occurring potentials against pest is made: entomophagous, predatory, entomopathogenic micro-organisms. So far we lack data grounded on the field tests about how the effectiveness of the enemies of pests on cruciferous plants depends on cultivation conditions. There is also a need to elucidate how the effectiveness of biological control could be promoted. In the European countries the cultivation of rape has so far been based on the use of chemical pesticides, which are often employed routinely and as preventive means without considering the economic threshold value of damages. Our pilot investigations have already shown that these methods are not suitable in Estonia. It is highly motivated to elaborate alternative strategies of cruciferous oil-bearing crops to reduce the application of chemical pesticides. The aim of the present project is to provide a scientific argumentation, proven by field test and observation data, for the development of ecological-economical growing technology of cruciferous oil-bearing crops in Estonia. By means of the project it will be endeavoured to maximise the role of the biological regulation of pest and beneficial insects population and minimise the use of pesticides. The results of the project will be both theoretical and practical argumentation for the suitability of ecological agriculture in Estonia. The diminished use of pesticides would reduce the costs of plant protection and improve the production quality with no detrimental chemical residues in the yield. The knowledge obtained would permit the elaboration of a strategy of environment-sparing agriculture where beneficial organisms are employed. |