Comparing Solarization Soil Treatment with Methyl-bromide Soil Fumigation on Strawberries

Methyl Bromide Soil Fumigation Alters Plant Element Concentrations

Soil fumigation is used to eliminate plant pathogens and weeds in commercial practice and to eliminate organisms in controlled experiments, e.g., vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAMF). This study was conducted to study the effect of methyl bromide fumigation on plant accumulation of 14 elements and assess plant colonization by VAMF after fumigation. Field experiments were conducted near...

Actual hazard of methyl bromide fumigation in soil disinfection.

Methyl bromide, a highly toxic and ready penetrating fumigant, is widely used against rodents, insects, mites, and a range of pathogenic organisms in soil, compost, and timber. To disinfect soil in greenhouses, methyl bromide is brought under pressure from outside by a vaporiser and blown on to ground under a polyethylene cover. The gas being three times heavier than air easily penetrates the g...

Efficacy of Bio-Fumigation and Soil Solarization on Soil-Borne Onion Pathogens

Interaction of methyl bromide with soil.

Because methyl bromide (CH3Br) is a widely used agricultural fumigant for soil disinfection, it is important to know the chemical behavior and fate of CH3Br as a result of its use for soil treatment. A solid-state 13C NMR study of 13CH3Br-treated soil and soil-component samples shows that methylation of soil organic matter may be the major pathway for degradation of CH3Br in soils. Adsorption o...

Winter Strawberry Production in Greenhouses Using Soilless Substrates: an Alternative to Methyl Bromide Soil Fumigation

In an effort to develop an alternative to methyl bromide-dependant strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) field production in north-central Florida, we evaluated various soilless substrates, growing containers, plug transplants, plant densities, cultivars, and biological control strategies in a passively ventilated high-roof greenhouse near Gainesville, Florida. The type of soilless media used ...