The purpose of the article is to research the scientific activity and assets of the scientist of the Institute of Plant Protection of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine – entomologist, ecologist, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Chaika Volodymyr Mykolayovych. V. M. Chaika has been working in the field of agricultural science for 53 years, 46 of them at the Institute of Plant Protection of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. He carried out in-depth entomological research, the results of which became a reliable basis for the development of environmentally safe protection of plants from pests. He assessed the capabilities of insects' sense of smell as a criterion for the physiological state of the body, which later served as the basis for conducting scientific research on testing and developing methods of practical use of biologically active substances – sex pheromones of harmful insects. The concept of pheromone monitoring was substantiated and a system for monitoring the distribution and number of dangerous pests of agricultural crops was developed – potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella Zell., European corn borer Pyrausta nubilalis Hb., a complex of noctuid moths, Laspeyresia pomonella L., Archips rosana L. The genetic component of population dynamics, which functions according to the principle of biological rhythm and is a mechanism for maintaining ecological plasticity of insects, is substantiated. Differences in the development of the «Chernobyl» and «Kyiv» populations of the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say. were revealed. The presence of complex relationships between parts of the arthropod complex of the fruit garden of the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl NPP is also shown. V. M. Chaika pointed out that it can serve as predictors for making phytosanitary forecasts at the current level of scientific development. He developed an algorithm for forecasting the harmfulness of the complex of main pests of winter wheat, which allows you to forecast the total shortfalls of the crop and make decisions about the economic feasibility of carrying out protective measures. He emphasized the relevance of substantiating environmental measures to preserve entomological biodiversity of agricultural landscapes.

For 15 years, V. M. Chaika worked as a teacher at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. He prepared author's courses, opened a new specialty «Environmental control and audit», expanded the scope of state procurement to environmental specialties.

V. M. Chaika is the author of more than 450 published scientific works. Created a scientific school, training 1 doctor and 13 candidates of sciences.

1. Osoblyvosti funktsionuvannia ahrarnoho sektora ekonomiky Ukrainy v umovakh viiny [Peculiarities of the functioning of the agrarian sector of the economy of Ukraine in the conditions of war]. URL: https://niss.gov.ua/doslidzhennya/ekonomika/osoblyvosti-funktsionuvannya-ahrarnoho-sektora-ekonomiky-ukrayiny-v-umovakh.
2. Urozhai zernovykh ta oliinykh v Ukraini tsohorich prohnozuiut na rivni 68 milioniv ton [The harvest of grain and oilseeds in Ukraine this year is forecast at the level of 68 million tons]. URL: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/3717036-urozaj-zernovih-ta-olijnih-v-ukraini-cogoric-prognozuut-na-rivni-68-miljoniv-tonn.html.
3. Biemo rekordy: urozhai zernovykh v Ukraini 2023 roku bude krashchym, nizh do viiny [We are breaking records: the grain harvest in Ukraine in 2023 will be better than before the war]. URL: https://focus.ua/uk/economics/591108-byemo-rekordi-urozhaj-zernovih-v-ukrayini-2023-roku-bude-krashim-nizh-do-vijni.
4. Trybel’, S. O. (2000). Zakhyst roslyn: sohodni i zavtra [Plant protection: today and tomorrow]. Zakhyst roslyn, no. 2, pp. 2–4 [In Ukrainian].
5. Fedorenko, V. P., Pokozii, Yo. T., & Krut, M. V. (2013). Entomolohiia: pidruchnyk [Entomology: textbook]. V. P. Fedoreneko (Ed). Kyiv [In Ukrainian].
6. Bublyk, L. I., Vasechko, H. I., Vasyliev, V. P. et al. (1999). Dovidnyk iz zakhystu roslyn [Handbook of plant protection]. M. P. Lisovyi (Ed.). Kyiv [In Ukrainian].
7. Degtjarev, B. G., & Chajka, V. N. (1976). Analіz jelektroantennogramm pri issledovanii attraktantov jablonnoj plodozhorki [Analysis of electroantennograms in the study of Laspeyresia pomonella L. attractants]. Sel'skohozjajstvennaja biologija, vol. XI, issue 1, pp. 70–73 [In Russian].
8. Pristavko, V. P., & Chajka V. N. (1976). Obonjatel'naja chuvstvitel'nost' jablonnoj plodozhorki v zavisimosti ot vozrasta nasekomyh, temperatury vozduha i vremeni sutok (Jelektrofiziologicheskaja ocenka) [Olfactory sensitivity of Laspeyresia pomonella L. depending on the age of insects, air temperature and time of day (Electrophysiological assessment)]. Doklady AN SSSR. Ser. B, no. 7, pp. 650–652 [In Russian].
9. Pristavko, V. P., & Chajka, V. N. (1978). Vlijanie rentgenovskogo izluchenija na obonjanie i povedenie babochek jablonnoj plodozhorki Laspeyresia pomonella L. [The effect of X-ray radiation on the sense of smell and behavior of butterflies Laspeyresia pomonella L.]. Radiobiologija, vol. 18, issue 1, pp. 146–148 [In Russian].
10. Pristavko, V. P., Degtjarev, B. G., & Chajka, V. N. (1976). Jelektrofiziologicheskaja reakcija obonjanija jablonnoj plodozhorki Laspeyresia pomonella L. kak vozmozhnyj jekspress-metod opredelenija toksichnosti i soderzhanija insekticidov [Electrophysiological olfactory reaction of Laspeyresia pomonella L. as a possible rapid method for determining the toxicity and content of insecticides]. Doklady AN SSSR, vol. 228, no. 4, pp. 999–1000 [In Russian].
11. Chernij, A. M., Chajka, V. N., & Garnaga, N. G. (1981). Ispol'zovanie feromonov jablonnoj plodozhorki v zashhite plodovogo sada [The use of Laspeyresia pomonella L. pheromones in protecting an orchard]. Tehnologicheskie priemy zashhity rastenij v Ukraine. Kiev, pp. 115–119 [In Russian].
12. Chajka, V. N., Chernij, A. M., & Fehtel K. G. (1984). Feromonnye lovushki [Pheromone traps]. Kartofel' i ovoshhi, no. 7, p. 10 [In Russian].
13. Chernij, A. M., Omeljuta, V. P., Chajka, V. N. et al. (1990). Vyjavlenie kartofel'noj moli i bor'ba s nej: rekomendacii [Identifying and combating potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella Zell.: recommendations]. Moskva [In Russian].
14. Grodskij, V. A., Garnaga, N. G., & Chajka V. N. (1987). Dinamika populjacij nekotoryh vrednyh cheshuekrylyh v razlichnyh agrocenozah [Dynamics of populations of some harmful Lepidoptera in various agrocenoses]. Sel'skohozjajstvennaja biologija, no. 12, pp. 24–28 [In Russian].
15. Chernij, A. M., Chajka, V. N., & Fehtel K. G. (1987). Osobennosti razvitija i povedenija kartofel'noj moli [Peculiarities of development and behaviour of potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella Zell.]. Zashhita rastenij, no. 6, pp. 44–45 [In Russian].
16. Chajka, V. N., & Chernij A. M. (1992) K razrabotke koncepcii monitoringa vrednyh cheshuekrylyh s pomoshh'ju feromonov [Towards the development of a concept for monitoring harmful Lepidoptera using pheromones]. Jentomologicheskoe obozrenie, vol. LXXI, issue 4, pp. 742–751 [In Russian].
17. Garnaga, N. G., Smeljanec, V. P., Chajka, V. N., & Samilenko A. E. (1995). Vlijanie radiacionnogo zagrjaznenija mestnosti na koloradskogo zhuka [Influence of radiation pollution of the area on the Colorado potato beetle]. Zashhita rastenij, no. 11, p. 22 [In Russian].
18. Drozda, V. F., Chaika, V. M., & Buntova, Ye. H. (1998). Chornobylskyi sad. Osoblyvosti formuvannia entomokompleksu v zoni vidchuzhennia ChAES [Chernobyl garden. Peculiarities of the formation of the entomocomplex in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant]. Zakhyst roslyn, no. 9, pp. 20–21 [In Ukrainian].
19. Chaika, V. M. (2004). Ekolohichne obgruntuvannia prohnozu. Rozpovsiudzhennia osnovnykh shkidnykiv polovykh kultur v ahrotsenozakh Ukrainy [Ecological substantiation of the forecast. Distribution of the main pests of field crops in agrocenoses of Ukraine]. Karantyn i zakhyst roslyn, no 11, pp. 3–5 [In Ukrainian].
20. Chaika, V. M., & Baklanova, O. V. (2002). Pohoda, ekonomika ta prohnoz dynamiky populiatsii shkidlyvykh komakh [Weather, economics, and forecasting of pest population dynamics]. Visnyk ahrarnoi nauky Pivdennoho rehionu. Odesa, issue 2, pp. 255–259 [In Ukrainian].
21. Chaika, V.M. (2004). Teoretychni osnovy entomolohichnoho prohnozu [Theoretical foundations of entomological forecasting]. Zakhyst i karantyn roslyn. Kyiv, issue 50, pp. 3–20 [In Ukrainian].
22. Chaika, V. M., Siadrysta, O. B., Baklanova, O. V., & Melnyk, P. P. (2001). Shkodochynnist fitofahiv na ozymyni [Harmfulness of phytophages in winter wheat]. Zakhyst roslyn, no. 12, pp. 1–2 [In Ukrainian].
23. Chaika, V. M. (2019). Zbidnennia entomolohichnoho riznomanittia ahrolandshaftiv Ukrainy [Impoverishment of entomological diversity of agricultural landscapes of Ukraine]. Entomolohichni chytannia pamiati vydatnykh vchenykh-entomolohiv V. P. Vasylieva i M. P. Diadechka: nauk.-prakt. konf. m. Kyiv, 18–20 hrudnia 2019 r. [Entomological readings in memory of outstanding entomological scientists V. P. Vasyliev and M. P. Dyadechko: scientific and practical conference. Kyiv, December 19–20, 2019]. Kyiv, pp. 67–69 [In Ukrainian].