Analyses of the ground waters in respect of presence of residues of plant protection products, i.e. active substances as well as environmental metabolites thereof are performed in the Institute of Plant Protection since the end of 80ties of the past Century. Based on the results obtained in 1993–1994 for 40 wells located in administrative territories of former Poznań, Toruń and Bydgoszcz voivodeships, in the vicinity of intensive agricultural production areas (orchards, farms), wells where significant amounts of residues of triazines group and dealkylated metabolites thereof had been found previously were qualified to further studies. There were 6 wells in which triazine residues were determined most often. Additionally, based on hydrogeological maps, directions of underflows in the areas of well’s locations were determined as well. The aim of the above was to find the additional places for sampling waters distant from pollution sources and estimation of the level of residues of target compounds depending on distance from the basic wells. Seven triazine compounds including basic active substances (atrazine, simazine) and their metabolites [desethyl atrazine, desisopropyl atrazine, desethyldesisopropyl atrazine, hydroxyatrazine and hydroxysimazine] were selected for the presented studies. Residues were analyzed using methodologies designed in the Institute, i.e. solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by determination by chromatographic techniques HPLC-PDA, GC-NPD and GC-MS. Generally, during 11 years of investigations (1993–2003) samplings were performed 52 times and 323 samples of groundwater including that from additional wells were analyzed. Most often residues of atrazine and deethylatrazine in wells located in environs of Poznań were detected.

The excessive use of pesticides is a problem in most parts of the world today because of their broad and unspecific target range that is considerably harmful. The accumulation of several chemical insecticide residues based on chlorpyrifos-methyl, organochlorine, different isomers of HCH, DDT etc., in Triticum aestivum L. plants can be dangerous. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop potential and safer alternative measures. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major cereal crop grown and used for food, animal feed, beverages and furniture accessories in most parts of the world. It also serves as a host to various insect pests. Our previous studies showed the insecticidal potency and specificity of short ssDNA oligonucleotides from the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP-2 and IAP-3) genes of Lymantria dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdMNPV) against gypsy moth (L. dispar) larvae, a possible insect pest of non-host plants like wheat. Consequently, the present study analyzes the effects of ssDNA oligonucleotides used as DNA insecticides on wheat (T. aestivum) plant biomass, plant organs and some biochemical parameters as a marker of the safety margin on non-target organisms. The results obtained on plant biomass showed that groups treated with ssDNA oligonucleotides at concentrations of 0.01 pmol · μl−1, 0.1 pmol · μl−1 and 1 pmol · μl−1 varied in comparison with the control group, but remained harmless to plant growth and development, while the treatment concentration of 0.001 pmol · μl−1 did not affect the plant biomass. The glucose, protein and phosphorous biochemical parameters, analyzed after 21 days, showed that the ssDNA oligonucleotides used were equally safe. The data obtained for the plant organs (leaves and root lengths) indicate that the phenomenon of DNA insecticides can be further studied and developed for plant protection while improving the growth of plant organs even for a non-target organism such as wheat T. aestivum plants.

The deterrent effect of limonene enentiomers and limonene derivative: ( + )-(1S,4S,6S)-4-(1-methylethenyl)-9-oxabicyclo[ 4.3.0]nonan-8-one, on Myzus persicae was investigated. Only S-enantiomers of limonene and its derivative showed feeding deterrent properties. S-limonene inhibited phloem sap ingestion and reduced the number of phloem sap ingestion phases during aphid stylet penetration of plant tissues. Aphids spent twice less time on leaves painted with ( + )-1S,4S,6S-4-(1-methylethenyl)-9-oxabicyclo[ 4.3.0]nonan-8-one than on control and S-limonene-treated leaves and the probes were shorter than 2 minutes on these leaves. Our studies confirmed that the chiral centre configuration of the lactones was important in expression of feeding deterrent activity.

Repellent usage against rodents is almost not provided anymore. Permission to use many rodent repellent substances under European Union (EU) plant protection regulations has not been renewed in recent years. Some approval for chemical substances have not been renewed due to their toxicological properties, and for some biorational approvals have also not been renewed due to lack of financial support together with other concerns. Some other rodent repellent substances possessing accurate properties in a secondary way have also been withdrawn. Thus, the use of almost ten active substances is now illegal. The lack of support and the resultant orphan use may be explained by the relatively small market and possible business together with the expectations of modern substance application requirements. As a result, the opportunity to consider new biorational substances as candidates is therefore open. Plant based food substances are preferred candidates for plant protection considering their favourable toxicological characteristics. Capsicum oleoresin, a mixture obtained from two spice species (Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens), is one of them with appropriate repellent properties. An application under EU Plant Protection Product regulation has recently been submitted and may become a new repellent for biological control agent against seed predators.

Seed endophytes are potential bioagents for plant protection and growth promoters. The question of the specifics of their isolation in cultural environments is not clear. The purpose of this study was to establish the nature of the interaction of endophytic fungi of wheat seeds with different levels of aggressiveness and presence in the mycobiota. Dual cultivation was carried out at potato-glucose agar (PGA), comparing with single fungal cultivation. The mutual influence of fungi during joint cultivation was established. Alternaria arborescens, which dominated in the mycobiota of wheat seeds from northeastern Ukraine, suppressed the development of only P enicillium. Nigrospora oryzae, Bipolaris sorokiniana, and Phoma developed faster than A. arborescens. Fusarium poae, and F. sporotrichioides competed for agar medium with N. oryzae. Known bioagents from wheat seeds showed unexpectedly low results. Trichothecium roseum formed a rejection zone during co-cultivation with F. graminearum. Trichoderma sp. Max18 (resistant to fludioxonil) on the 7th day inhibited the development of Penicillium, F. graminearum, and A. arborescens by 55, 48 and 26%, respectively. N. oryzae developed faster than the mycoparasitic fungus, but the latter began to parasitize it only from the 13th day.

Plant parasites of the genera Longidorus Micoletzky, 1922 and Paralongidorus Siddiqi, Hooper and Khan, 1963 comprise a group of plant root ectoparasites, some of which are known as pests of economic importance. Their importance is further augmented by the fact that several species are known to be vectors of nepoviruses. To date 16 species from the genus Longidorus and two from Paralongidorus have been recorded in Poland. Despite their economic importance in agriculture currently there is no regional key for species identification. This paper presents such a key. The key has many illustrations and is based mainly on traits which are easily observable even by less experienced users. Thus, it should provide a useful tool for both scientists and specialists working in the field of plant protection, soil ecology and zoology as well as for teaching purposes.

Currently more and more research is being done on integrated weed management to reduce or avoid herbicide use. Some growers are already using isotherapic dilutions to control weeds in organic farming. Isotherapy is different from homeopathy because it uses diluted and potentized (succussed) solutions of alcoholic macerate of the very pest causing health troubles. We set up a germination experiment to test if isotherapic dilutions of leaf macerate of annual ryegrass affect the dynamics of its seed germination in Petri dishes. Our results were diverse, from no effect to 10% more growing degree days necessary to reach 50% germination. It is doubtful that so low an effect will contribute to integrated weed management unless the slightly delayed germination triggers secondary effects at other life stages. This is in accordance with the scientific literature on that topic: two-fifths of the reports showed no effect, two-fifths resulted in positive responses and one-fifth had diverse responses for the criteria tested.

At present, a deep transformation of the agrobiocenose organisation under the intense anthropogenic factors’ influence is of particular importance. Thus, a significant increase in the number and harmfulness of pests’, phytopathogens’ and weeds species was noted due to the prevailing favourable conditions for their mass reproduction, expansion of habitats, and harmfulness, which inevitably leads to a significant deterioration in the phytosanitary state of cultivated crops. The phytosanitary trouble of agrobiocenoses allows us to say that today plant protection, being the final link in the cultivating technology for agricultural crops, is one of the most important stages in preserving the harvest improving the quality of the products obtained, and reducing their cost. In the current study it was tried to review the modern paradigm of the agricultural technological process efficiency. The relevance of this research is due to the fact that modern technological processes in agriculture cannot be implemented without the practical use of plant protection measures, in particular, the chemical method, which consists in the use of chemical compounds against pathogens of plants, pests, weeds, and is the most common, contributing to a significant increase in the yield of cultivated crops and labour productivity in agricultural production. All this, in our opinion, indicates the high practical significance of the results obtained.