This study investigated various protection programs to control the European cherry fruit fly, cherry brown rot, and cherry leaf spot on sour cherries. The effects of acetamiprid, spinetoram, dodine, boscalid, and pyraclostrobin, applied alone and in combination with sucrose, were determined using standard EPPO methods. Pesticide residues in the cherry fruit were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The highest efficacy in controlling the European cherry fruit fly was achieved by applying acetamiprid twice and spinetoram three times during fruit ripening. Successful protection against brown rot was achieved with a single application of boscalid and pyraclostrobin with the addition of sucrose. Dodine in combination with boscalid and pyraclostrobin showed good efficacy in controlling cherry leaf spot, which increased with the addition of sucrose. Residues of spinetoram, boscalid, and pyraclostrobin were below the limit of quantification, while only acetamiprid and dodine residues were detected in the fruit samples, but these were well below the maximum residue levels. This study demonstrates that several alternative protection programs can successfully protect cherries against the European cherry fruit fly and diseases during the critical stage of fruit ripening, with residue levels below the prescribed maximum levels.

During 2019 and 2020, field experiments were performed on sweet pepper crops to determine the efficacy of chemical insecticides (lambda-cyhalothrin, flubendiamide), semi-synthetic (emamectin benzoate), and biological pesticide (azadirachtin) in controlling cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera). The experiments were performed in a randomized complete block design with four replications according to the standard EPPO method at the site of Veliko Gradiste (Serbia). Flubendiamide was applied at a rate of 50 g/ha, lambda-cyhalothrin at a rate of 7.5 g/ha, emamectin benzoate at a rate of 375 g/ha, and azadirachtin at a rate of 0.75 g/ha. The intensity of the 2nd generation cotton bollworm infestation on sweet pepper at this locality was higher during 2020 compared to 2019. After performing two treatments for the 2nd generation, flubendiamide showed the highest efficacy, ranging from 92.42% (3 days after treatment - DAT, 2020) to 95.56% (9DAT, 2019). Lambda-cyhalothrin had a satisfactory efficacy in the range of 81.93% (9DAT, 2020) to 90.63% (3DAT, 2019), and emamectin benzoate showed similar efficacy from 80.72% (9DAT, 2020) to 90.63% (3DAT, 2019). Azadirachtin could gain a significant place as a botanical insecticide in integrated pest management programs for sweet pepper protection from H. armigera. However, it statistically showed a significantly lower efficacy than other insecticides (77.27%: 3DAT, 2020 to 86.67%: 9DAT, 2019).

The effects of the various protection programs to control the European cherry fruit fly, cherry brown rot and cherry leaf spot on sour cherry were investigated. The effects of acetamiprid, spinetoram, dodine, boscalid and pyraclostrobin, applied alone and in combination with sucrose, were determined using standard EPPO methods. The residues of the applied pesticides were determined in the cherry fruit using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The highest efficiency in controlling the European cherry fruit fly was achieved by applying acetamiprid twice and spinetoram three times during fruit ripening. Successful protection of cherries against brown rot was achieved with a single application of boscalid and pyraclostrobin with the addition of sucrose. Dodine in combination with boscalid and pyraclostrobin had good efficacy in controlling cherry leaf spot, which increased with the addition of sucrose. The residues of spinetoram, boscalid and pyraclostrobin were below the limit of quantification, while only acetamiprid and dodine residues were detected in the fruit samples, but these were well below the maximum residue levels. This study has shown that there are several alternative protection programs that can be used to successfully protect cherries against the European cherry fruit fly and diseases during the critical stage of fruit ripening, with residue levels below the prescribed maximum levels.