Abstract
Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a valuable grain legume crop, the seeds of which are used for human food and fodder. The seeds are consumed in a mature or green state. The priorities of the peas as a crop are the following: it is a legume, which enriches the soil with nitrogen; peas are the best possible precursor – clears the areas early; non-particular to soil and growing conditions; high protein content crop. However, the growing process of this crop could be worse by various pests that lead to product quality decay or they could even destroy the pea production. Economically important pests in field cultivation of peas are: pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris), pea weevil (Bruchus pisi L.) and pea moths (Laspeyresia nigricana Step. and Laspeyresia dorsana L.). Field experiments on pea variety Paldin were conducted at the Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute, Plovdiv to determine the effectiveness of different plant protection products against a natural background of pest infestation. The biological activity of the insecticides Deca EC 50 ml/da (a. i. deltamethrin), Oasis 5 EC 25 ml/da (a. i. esfenvalerate), Piretro Natura EC 75 ml/da (a. i. pyrethrins), Neem Azal T/S 0.3% (a. i. azadirachtin), Naturalis 100 ml/da (a. i. Beauveria bassiana), Dipel 2 X 100 g/da (a. i. Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki strain ABTS) and Rapax 100 ml/da (a. i. Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, strain EG 2348) against the main pests of peas in conventional and biological production systems was established.
Keywords: pea, pests, insecticides, conventional and biological production