Fruit growing
and viticulture of South Russia
Phytosanitary condition of plants
The growing economic importance of alternaria fungi for agricultural crop production every year more and more activates research in the biology, ecology, and systematics of these micromycetes. By reducing the photosynthetic potential, pathogenic species of the genus Alternaria on vegetating plants cause slow destruction of host tissues. Small-spore species are mentioned as pathogens of alternarioses of various agricultural crops: A. alternata (Fries) Keissler, A. tenuissima & T. Nees: Fr.), A. infectoria and A. avenicola in the study of micromycete cultures and the selection of optimal nutrient media in vitro. For alternaria fungi, such screening can be carried out according to the criterion of the yield of the fungus biomass (g/100 ml of medium). According to some researchers, the most favorable for these purposes are the potato-glucose and Chapek environment. Since an important diagnostic feature of Alternaria is the structure of conidia, habitus and pattern structure, according to other researchers, too nutritious media should not be used for the cultivation of these fungi, as there is a suppression of the development of conidia. For example, Simmons (2007) recommends potato-carrot agar and agar medium V8.For the cultivation of fungi from the pathocomplex of necrotic leaf spot of grapes of the genus Alternaria, the optimal nutrient medium is potato-carrot agar (KMA). On this medium, there is sufficient, but not too abundant sporulation and moderate development of vegetative mycelium. CMA is also an optimal substrate for establishing the diversity of cultural traits of strains within a species for possible differentiation by strain trait, which is important for further population studies.
Aphids (Aphidoidea), the representatives of the order Hemiptera, are among the main sugescent pests of orchard agrobiocenoses in Russia. The species composition and aphid population dynamics was studied in the educational and experimental fruit orchard of the St. Petersburg State Agrarian University (SPbSAU) (Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg) and at the State Variety Testing Station "Skreblovo" (Luga district of the Leningrad region) in 2019-2020, using Malaise traps. In the 2019-2020 growing seasons, 19 species of aphids were caught in the orchard of SPbSAU. Of these, 6 species are specialized pests of fruit and berry crops (Brachycaudus helichrysi, Cryptomyzus ribis, Hyperomyzus rinanthi, Rhopalosiphum insertum, Ovatus crataegarius, Macrosiphum rosae), 7 species are pests of other agricultural crops, and 5 species feed on various tree species. In total, 44 individuals (17 species) were caught in 2019, and 58 individuals (6 species) in 2020. In 2020, 3 species with a total number of 89 individuals were registered at the State Variety Testing Station "Skreblovo". The greater number of recorded insects in the Luga district is explained by the warmer climate of this region. A significant influence of weather conditions on the aphid population dynamics was revealed, especially in late May June and in August September. It is noted that the Malaise trap has its advantage over the electric suction trap in that it can be quickly installed in any agrocenosis, while the suction trap is stationary. Therefore, the Malaise trap can be recommended as one of the methods for monitoring aphids.
The paper presents the research results of the leafhopper (Metcalfa Pruinosa) aggregation and dispersal in the agricultural landscape of the Krasnodar Territory vineyards. The research was carried out in 2015 2019 in the main viticulture zones of the Krasnodar Territory in industrial vineyards of various grape species. The route counting method and generally accepted ecological and entomological methods were used. As a result, M. Pruinosa was found besides the grapevine with even density to inhabit many other plants: three-prickly gleditsia (Gleditsia triacanthos L.), common hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata Poir.), May rosehip (Rosa majalis Herrm.), Prickly plum (blackthorn, or Prunus spinosa L.), bush blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.), wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), plum (Prunus domestica L.), cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), Beautiful catalpa (Catalpa speciosa Warder ex Engelm.), flowering maple/ Chinese bellflower (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.). The waxy leafhoppers (M Pruinosas) extensive colonization of forest belts in the agricultural landscape, its population growth, and the pests number dynamics in the vineyards of the Krasnodar Territory are shown; the enlisted factors influence is analysed. The phytophages number is higher in the zone proximity to the hearth of pest aggregation, and gradually decreases when moving deeper into the vineyard. The harmfulness assessment of wine and table grape species was carried out. A tendency to reduce the shoots productivity of wine grape species reaches an economically insignificant level of 4.1-4.7%. M. ruinosa's aggregation on bunches of table varieties leads to a decrease in marketability by 14.2-18.1 %, which proves economically significant damage. To overcome the situation, it is necessary to develop control measures for wax leafhoppers in the vineyards of table grape species. When controlling the pest in ampelocenoses, it is necessary to monitor its foci in forest belts.
In modern environmental conditions of ampelocenoses, the areal habitats on grapes of hidden sucking pests, such as the grape felt mite (Colomerus vitis Pgst.) and phylloxera (leaf or gall form) (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (gallicolae) Fitch.) are expanding. The purpose of the research is to assess the vineyards colonization in the Western Ciscaucasia with these phytophages and, thus, estimate their harmfulness. The research was carried out in 2014-2020 in industrial vineyards, according to commonly accepted methods. The results obtained showed the tendency to expand for the studied pests hostal-topical trophic specialisation and, consequently, the increased pests economical harmfulness. The studies proved economically damaging harmfulness from leaf phylloxera and grape felt mite in the region, revealed a considerable decrease in the grape shoots productivity and lower concentration of sugars in the bunch overall causing serious economic damage. European grape species of V. vinifera belonging to the Western European group (convar. occidentalis Negr. subconvar. gallica Nem. Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Caberhnet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Muller Thurgau) suffer from the most felt mite population. The Euro-American hybrids: Moldova, Bianca, Pervenets Magaracha recently were noticed as hosting the felt mite population, which indicates the expansion of the phytophages gostal food specialization. Additionally, for the first time in the Western Ciscaucasia, the felt mite topical specialization appeared in the form of inflorescences and young clusters damages. Complex interspecific Euro-American hybrids most populated by leaf phylloxera in the Western Ciscaucasia conditions are Bianca, Augustine, Moldova, Doina. A complex Euro-American-Amur hybrid is Bruskam, as well as rootstock varieties of American origin are Kober 5 BB and Kober CO4. An expansion of the gostal food specialization as well as the leafy phylloxera colonization of the atypical varieties of V. vinifera belonging to the Western European group was observed, especially, light-colored, medium-ripening varieties (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling, Aligote, Pinot Blanc, Muller Thurgau). The joint colonization of the grape leaves of different genotype varieties by the grape felt mite and the leaf form of phylloxera was noted. For both pests, a significant decrease in the shoots productivity and mass concentration of sugars was found with a high degree of damage on the varieties/species.
The assessment of the diversity of fungal communities and the study of the bioindicational significance of mycological indicators is relevant for the biomonitoring of ampelocenoses. This article shows the results of studying the quantitative and qualitative composition of communities of saprotrophic micromycetes associated with annual shoots of wild and cultivated grape plants. The study was conducted in 2020 in various districts of the Krasnodar Territory (Western Ciscaucasia). The objects of the study were wild grape plants from the natural conditions of the forest ecotopes of the state reserve "Utrish "(Anapa district) and Krymsky district, as well as cultivated grape plants of 4 varieties of grapes of different genotypes, cultivated in the plantings of JSC agrofirm Yuzhnaya (Temryuk district). Studies have shown that the number of saprotrophic micromycetes associated with the annual vine varies depending on the place of sampling and ranges from 232.9...3203.2 thousand. CFU/g of dry matter on wild grapes and in the range of 118.9...344.1 thousand. CFU / g of dry matter on cultivated grapes. The highest densities of fungal populations 1119.7 and 3203.2 CFU/g of dry matter were recorded on vines from forest ecotopes, the lowest index of 118.9 CFU / g of dry matter was recorded on vines from ampelocenosis, on wild vines the main share in the studied fungal communities was occupied by hyphal or mold fungi, on average their share was 95.1 %, while yeast occupied 4.2 %, and yeast-like fungi 0.7 % of the complex. On cultivated vines, hyphal fungi also occupied a large part in the structure of fungal communities, but their share was 1.7 times less than on wild plants. Yeast (26.5 %) and yeast-like fungi (18.4 %) accounted for a much larger share.