Integrated fruit production in Bulgaria – State-of the-art, tendencies and ecologically sound approaches to producing safe fruits

Abstract

The present study treats some major elements of integrated fruit production as a modern approach to obtaining top quality, ecologically pure fruit produce – choosing suitable cultivars and cultivar-rootstock combinations, integrated approaches to disease, pest and weed management, irrigation and soil maintenance systems in fruit plantations. The combined approach to pest control, good agricultural practices and the use of pesticide products with confirmed selectivity, suitable for application under integrated fruit production conditions, as well as the search for alternative approaches to limit the use of agrochemicals, ensure that the crops are maintained in good agricultural and ecological condition. Integrated fruit production as an organizational form in fruit growing is the modern ecologically-oriented fruit production. Knowledge of its basic principles is essential to adapting fruit growing to the European requirements for the production of competitive fruit produce and preservation of the environment and biodiversity.