All components of the forest (trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, animals, insects, fungi, microorganisms, soils, air) are in close interconnection, affecting the forest both positively and negatively. Particularly dangerous for forest stands are coniferous and leaf-eating pests that can rapidly increase in population, causing significant damage to tree stands. Currently, the only method to control these pests is through extermination measures using chemical and biological agents.
The prolonged, intensive use of chemical agents in forest pest control has negative, often irreversible effects on biocenoses and worsens the overall ecological state of our country. Therefore, an alternative solution to this situation is the implementation of integrated plant protection. Among the methods of integrated protection used in forestry, the most common is the biological method, which is based on reducing pest populations using their parasites and antagonists. The practical experience of using entomopathogenic viral agents in our country and abroad has demonstrated their high effectiveness. Viral agents also have advantages in being more species-specific, meaning they neutralize only certain insect species while being non-toxic to humans, mammals, birds, bees, and others.
One of the biological agents used in forestry is Virin-Diprion. It is applied in pine stands against the red pine sawfly. The basis of the agent is a natural virus strain isolated from pest larvae. The production process of this insecticide includes a stage of virus cultivation on red pine sawfly larvae and a stage of washing out (maceration) of viral inclusions from the viral material with subsequent isolation of the species-specific virus.
Today, April 7, 2015, the chief microbiologist of SSE "Kharkivlisozakhyst" Denis Baturkin met with students of the Kharkiv State Veterinary Academy. "The agent is applied by spraying the tree stand," the specialist explained. "After application in the plantation, the pest larvae develop a disease that significantly reduces their feeding intensity and leads to their death. Moreover, the offspring produced by infected individuals are already virus-infected and will die at the beginning of their development."
Virin-Diprion has been successfully used in Ukrainian forestry. For example, SE "Romny Forestry" of Sumy Regional Forestry Management uses the biological agent to protect stands located within green zone forests.
The use of biological agents is a very promising direction in forest pest control, as they have long-term effects and are more economically advantageous compared to chemical agents. Furthermore, they pose no threat to the environment.