Principles of Assessment of Pesticide Toxicity to Arthropods Used for Pest Control in Greenhouses

Abstract

The basic methodological approaches to the development of standard methods of assessment of pesticide toxicity to predatory and parasitic arthropods used as natural pest control agents in greenhouses are considered. Data on the toxicity of the working concentrations of pesticides and the duration of their effect on zoophages were used to develop assessment scales and define the hazard classes of pesticides. This approach can be used to select pesticides with low negative side effects on zoophages and to calculate the optimal interval between pesticide treatment and release of natural pest control agents in greenhouses.