EFFICIENCY OF BIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF CARROTS AGAINST DISEASES AND PESTS

Purpose. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of biological protection of carrots against diseases and pests under the conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Materials and Methods. The research was conducted in 2024–2025 at the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of NAAS of Ukraine. Carrot (Daucus carota L.), variety Nantska Kharkivska, was grown in an 8-field crop rotation using drip irrigation and standard cultivation practices (plant density 507 thousand plants/ha). The experiment included four plant protection systems: control (no protection), chemical protection, integrated biological protection, and situational biological protection. Results. The study presents results, on the effectiveness of different plant protection systems (chemical and biological) regarding disease development (powdery mildew and alternariosis), damage by carrot fly, total and marketable yield, marketability, and biochemical parameters (vitamin C, total sugars, dry matter, carotene). Conclusions. Biological protection systems reduce disease development to a level comparable with chemical protection. The integrated biological system provided powdery mildew development of 14.6% (13.3% for chemical) and alternariosis 5.3% (4.6% for chemical). Minimum damage by carrot fly was observed with chemical protection (2.6%) and integrated biological protection (2.55%). Both biological and chemical systems ensured yield increases of 4.3–4.7 t/ha (total) and 7.7–8.1 t/ha (marketable). High yields of marketable carrots are achieved through a combination of chemical and biological control measures. Studies have shown that the use of biological systems to protect carrots from pests and diseases significantly affects the biochemical composition of the root vegetables and their productivity. Chemical protection ensures the maximum vitamin C content (7.17 mg/100 g) and a significant increase in total and marketable yield, but is less safe from an environmental point of view. The integrated biological system achieves yields comparable to those of chemical protection, whilst maintaining high marketability of the produce; it ensures the highest carotene content (22.18 mg/100 g), a stable sugar content (8.33%) and dry matter content (10.76%).