Abstract
In the context of the development of organic agriculture, the introduction of environmentally safe plant protection methods is of particular importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of biological protection of cereal crops using biopreparations and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on phytosanitary monitoring. The research was conducted on demonstration fields of organic farming in the Almaty region at the demonstration site of the Zhiembayev Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine (KazRIPPQ). During the growing season, a total of 16 pest species were identified during surveys of wheat crops. On winter wheat at the tillering stage, the abundance of the cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus L.) reached 9-11 adults per m², while the sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps Put.) reached 0.6-0.7 adults per m², which was close to the economic threshold of harmfulness. At the stem elongation-heading stage, a harmful population density of wheat thrips (Haplothrips tritici Kurd.) was recorded, reaching 7-8 adults per stem. The application of biological preparations using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provided high biological efficacy: up to 95.3% against the cereal leaf beetle, 91.0% against the sunn pest, and 88.5% against wheat thrips. In addition, an increase in beneficial entomofauna was observed due to the establishment of nectar-producing zones and artificial nesting sites. The obtained results confirm the prospects of integrated biological plant protection in organic farming, which contributes to reducing pest populations to a safe level while maintaining the ecological balance of agroecosystems.