The founder of scientific school of protection of fruit trees and grapes from harmful organisms in the North Caucasus is Cand. Agr. Sci. Ekaterina Moiseyevna Storozhenko (1910-1998), the head of department of plant protection of NCRRIH&V from 1941 to 1978. E.M. Storozhenko has formed the main direction of research – it is the development of integrated plant protection in the agri-ecological zones, taking into account the resistance of the varieties to the pathogens. For the first time in the world science and practice she developed the differentiated protection of apple tree and grapes from major diseases; for the first time for the region she developed the integrated protection system for the orchards and vineyards with the extensive use of biological method and other non-chemical methods of pest monitoring. E.M. Storozhenko is the author of over 75 scientific papers and monograph "Diseases of fruit crops and grapes" (1970). Under her leadership the 7 master's theses were made. The work of E.M. Storozhenko was continued by her followers.
Since 1976, the direction of research was headed by Dr. Sci. Agr., Professor, V.M. Smolyakova, the Honored worker of science of the Kuban (1937-2010). In the department of plant protection the groups on bacterial, viral and mycoplasmal diseases are created. The research of departmet are coordinated with scientific research institutions in the area of the North Caucasus and other countries. The scientific developments are being introduced every year on more than 100 thousand hectares of orchards and vineyards. V.M. Smolyakova is the author of 2 monographs and more than 230 scientific papers. Under her leadership 8 master's theses were made.
A significant and substantial contribution to the development of research for protection of fruit cultures from pests and diseases were made in the different years by researchers as A.A. Bondarenko, B.G. Ivanenko, B.T. Dudnichenko, N.I. Gribkova, V.G. Kuznetsova, A.M. Zhidovkhin and the candidates of science – A.I. Talash, T.M. Samus, G.B. Iakuba, S.R. Cherkezova, M.E. Podgornaya, N.A. Holod, S.V. Prakh and the doctors of science – E.M. Storchevaya, L.A. Puzanova and a number of other researchers.
Since 1992 in three agrical and ecological zones of horticulture more than 10 integrated protection systems of fruit cultures from harmful objects are tested annually. Database are created on the biology of diseases, pests of gardens and their entomophages. Together with domestic and foreign firms the ecological systems are developing for the protection of fruit trees and berry plantations from pests. The ecologically based integrated system of protection of orchards and berry plantations against the pests and diseases that reduce the pesticide load and save over 95 % yield with high quality fruits are created.
