Integrated fruit production in Bulgaria - state-of the-art, tendencies and ecologically sound approaches for producing safe fruits.

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