Phytosanitary Monitoring of Dominant Pests and Protection of Woody Plants in the Exhibition Plots of the Yerevan Botanical Garden

The article presents the results of phytosanitary monitoring of dominant pests affecting woody plants in exhibition plots representing different floristic origins of the Yerevan Botanical Garden. The research was conducted on plots representing the floras of Crimea and the Caucasus, North America, Europe, Siberia, and East Asia. The phytosanitary condition of the woody species was assessed, and the species composition of major pests was identified. The results indicate that the highest prevalence is observed among sap-sucking and leaf-chewing phytophagous insects that damage woody plant tissues, as well as among stem-boring pests, that damage wood. Patterns in the formation of pest complexes have been identified in relation to the biological characteristics of the woody species and their floristic origin. Introduced woody species exhibited varying degrees of resistance to local pests. The obtained results made it possible to develop recommendations for the application of an integrated system for woody plant protection, including agrotechnical, biological, chemical and environmentally safe methods for regulating pest populations while minimizing pesticideuse. The research findings can be used for organizing phytosanitary control and preserving botanical garden plant collections.