Crop protection is an essential part of ensuring good yields. However, recent experience has shown that using an integrated range of protective techniques is the most cost-effective approach in the long term.
Spending some time in reviewing the protection of your crops and seeking a site-specific balance of mechanical, chemical and biological controls often identifies opportunities to reduce labour costs and other inputs, whilst ensuring comparable yields and improving profits. It will also help to protect vital soil, water and wildlife resources.
In some cases it is possible to obtain grant aid e.g. for ‘beetle banks’ and field margin management, which will further reduce costs and improve product acceptability.
Use a farm advisor to help develop an integrated crop protection plan for the farm.
Source: [4] For the benefit of farmers and the environment. Practical guide; Sofia, 2008
Economic benefits
• More effective plant protection at a lower cost
• Reduced pest and disease attack
• Preservation of soil fertility
• Better interaction and mutual natural protection of crops
• Reduced plant protection costs
• Better acceptance of production by consumers
• Better image of the farm and opportunity for financial support

Environmental benefits
• Protection of water from pollution
• Protection of nature, man, farm and wild animals, pollinators, entomophagous and acarophages from toxic chemicals
• Preserved species diversity
• Reduced risk of water pollution
• Protection of the soil from pollution
• Increased biodiversity

Problems and opportunities for solving
By carefully targeting use of chemicals, ensuring vigorous crop growth, and controlling damage from insects, diseases and weeds to acceptable levels, rather than trying to eliminate them altogether, a more balanced, productive system can be achieved.
There are three key elements to this strategy to protect your crops. The first line of defence is prevention, by using techniques such as crop rotation, variety selection and cultural measures. The next involves crop protection by forecasting, monitoring and controlling the impact of weeds, pests and diseases and by accurate targeting and applications of chemicals.
The third element encourages predators and parasites of pests by restoring or improving their habitats.

Crop varieties, rotation and cultivations

A diverse rotation can reduce the impact of weeds, pests and diseases by interrupting life cycles.
A four-year crop rotation is now considered by some farmers to be too short for the effective reduction of some pest problems. Where crops such as oilseed rape, potatoes and sugar beet are part of the rotation, pests and diseases can survive in the soil for several years.
Farmers are now selecting crop varieties with a high natural resistance based on assessment of the disease risk and cropping history of the farm.
Developing a stale seedbed and controlling weeds and volunteers between crops reduces the need for in-crop treatments and the weed seedbank.
Late drilling will help reduce weed competition and aphid attack but care must be taken to avoid damaging heavy soils in a wet autumn and causing soil erosion, because the crop does not have time to establish before winter.
• Use crop rotations suitable for your farm.
• Include grassy strips (with grass mixtures) where possible to increase soil fertility and increase the amount of organic matter.
• Choose disease-resistant varieties.
• Use a flat soil surface when tilling the soil to provoke the emergence of weeds and self-seeding and then destroy them before sowing the next crop with shallow tillage.
• Sow crops as late as possible on soil that is not prone to erosion or compaction to reduce competition from weeds and aphid attacks.
• Take into account the impact on the environment and the potential cost savings when replacing agricultural machinery, trying to choose those that can perform the best agricultural cultivation.
• Apply mulching as an alternative to herbicides and pesticides to reduce resources and labor and protect the environment from pollution
Source: [4] For the benefit of farmers and the environment. Practical guide; Sofia, 2008

Crop protection

Infestations by weeds and insects and infections of crops by diseases are commonly managed by applications of chemicals. However, some farmers are cutting costs by reducing inputs.
Chemicals are being used as little as possible but as much as necessary by quantifying incidence of weeds, pests and diseases and then comparing with treatment thresholds, followed by targeted use of chemicals. This helps to balance inputs to the optimum yield/cost ratio.
• Monitor crops regularly for early signs of infestation.
• Anticipate enemy attacks using weather forecasts and bulletins issued by plant protection services.
• Document and map areas with heavier weeds (as well as sprayed areas) that will help you anticipate attacks in a timely manner.
• Where possible, monitor the development and density of pests and diseases using traps (pheromones, etc.) and diagnostic methods (entomological bag, soil excavations). Proceed with chemical treatment only if the established density exceeds the developed economic thresholds.
• Look for a link between disease infection and the influence of weather factors.
• To choose the most suitable preparation, consult a specialist.
• Make sure the pesticides used are the right ones, applied in the right dosage and in the right place.
• Identify areas and buffer zones that are not sprayed, taking into account the proximity of water sources, the products you spray and the norms used.
• Make sure the weather conditions are suitable for spraying.
• When preparing the spray solutions, filling the sprayers and washing them, protect the environment and water sources from contamination.

Encouraging predators of crop pests