Biofumigation as soil amendment and method of soil decontamination for the integrated pest management of tomato in Sanarate, Guatemala, 2000

Biofumigation as soil amendment and method of soil decontamination for the integrated pest management of tomato in Sanarate, Guatemala, 2000

Blacksburg, VA IPM CRSP United States

2000/2001

SB950.2.A2V6 2000/2001

Biofumigation consists of using stubble and plant materials that during decomposition produce substances that cause the soil decontamination of macro and microscopic organisms such as fungi, bacteria, weed seeds, soil insects and others (Beilo, 2000). For this reason, the ICTAfIPM CRSP initiated research on this topic with the objectives of determining the effect of biofumigation on soil fertility status and nematodes and weeds. The experiment was conducted at Sanarate, El Progreso, from September 2000 until January 2001. A randomized block design with 3 replicates was used with 8 treatments (1. chicken manure + solarization, 2. chicken manure, 3. tomato stubble + solarization, 4. tomato stubble, 5. cucumber stubble + solarization, 6. cucumber stubble, 7. solarization, and 8. growers check). Results indicate that soil fertility and mineral content in milligrams per kilogram of P, Ch, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca, K and Mg, were increased with biofumigation compared to the control. The percent increase depends of the element, but fluctuates between 15 % and 35 % compared to the control. For nematodes the populations of Meloidogyne spp. decreased from 20 nematodes per mi of soil before fumigation to no nematodes in most evaluated treatments. The starting population of nematode Criconemella spp., was 100 per mi of soil, and this was reduced to 20 per mi of soil. On the other hand, populations of nematodes from the genus Rhabditis spp. increased from 100 nematodes per mi of soil to 3,950 nematodes per mi. It should be noted that this is a free-living nematode competes with other genus of nematodes for space and nutrients, and for this reason it is considered to have a beneficial affect on crops. The treatment of chicken manure+solarizaafion bad the highest yield of 45,029 kg/ha compared to the standard treatment of the grower where 30,660 kg/ha was obtained. Other treatment plots had yields that were within this range.

no.8:346-348, IPM CRSP, ANNUAL REPORT

Research > Published Articles