Importance of Question

XX century in agricultural sphere was characterized with the intensification of production in general and the branch of plant defense in particular. The most perspective direction in the sphere of plant defense was considered chemical method. At the end of XX century the tendency of chemicalization in agricultural production was clearly displayed (it included the development of scientific and research work (base), the making of new chemicals, the practical application of many pesticides, professional training) that created a lot of problems connected with environmental protection. The result of that approach in the sphere of plant protection is the mass emergence of resistant (not sensitive to chemical influence) forms of pests and phytopathogenes, the succession of pest species, the contamination of soils and waters, the qualitative and the quantitative decrease of grown production properties.

Nowadays the potential capacity of the chemical method for pest organism control, probably, reaches its confines. It is possible to say this method of plant defense has depleted itself in fact. Today chemical method is the necessity of the permanent application of new synthetic pesticides that becomes more and more expensive but their success is doubtful.

Last years in European countries it was clearly formulated the tendency of changes in plant defense system. It is begun the transition from mainly chemical to integrated systems. European Union gives an essential attention to this question which is displayed in the stimulation and the additional financing of programs in this direction. The integrated system of plant defense (integrated control, integrated program) is greatly developed in such countries as USA, Finland, Netherlands and Israel. This system provides the application of all the means for the regulation of pest population number with the prevalence of the natural methods of control.

The biological method of plant defence is a modern practical branch the main purpose of which is the growing of high qualitative ecofriendly production and the providing of high crop yield.

The modern methods of plant defense include the theoretically and methodically substantiated alliance of organizational, economic, agrotechnical, genetical, immunological, biological, microbiological and chemical means. Their interaction is strictly stipulated and directed to the limitation of pesticide application volumes. In the world agricultural practice this direction has assumed the name of the rational management of pest number or Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

The most actual and perspective component in the integrated system of plant defense is a biological method. It is the base for the elaboration of the ecologically safe, the economical and the long-term programs of pest control. The biological method of pest control is based on the application of natural parasitic and predatory insects, fungal, bacterial, virus microorganisms and the products of their life activity. The mechanism of the biological influence of these means consists in parasitism, the elimination and the infestation of pest organisms by entomophages, bacteria, fungi and viruses. It is also used the antagonistic peculiarities of these organisms concerning plant diseases.

The positive factor of this method application is an ecological security. The biological plant defense is based on the system approach and the complex realization of two main directions. The first is the conservation and the promotion of the population activity of beneficial species (entomophages and microorganisms). The second is the self-defense of crops and the regeneration of agro-ecosystems by beneficial species, which were absent there or their number was not enough. The biological method of plant defense is a modern practical branch the main aim of which is the growing of high qualitative and ecologically safe production.