Enhanced Soil Solarization against Tomato Fusarium Diseases in the Uplands

Abstract

Abstract Soil solarization against tomato wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici) tomato crown and root rot (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radices-lycopersici) were conducted for seven weeks in the summer 2011 and 2012 in Al-Aroub Agricultural Experimental Station, located in the southern mountains of the West Bank, Palestine. Double polyethylene sheets combined with 10% chicken organic manure (DPE+OM), Double polyethylene sheets (DPE) and regular polyethylene sheets (PE), were compared for their effects on soil temperature, pathogens populations, disease severity, and plant growth. Results showed that in comparison to the control, DPE+OM, DPE, and PE treatments increased the mean maximum soil temperatures by 15.2, 10.5, and 6.3◦C, respectively, in 2011 and by 16.4, 12.5, and 9.2◦ C respectively, in 2012. The pathogens population were highly reduced ( 97%) under the DPE+OM treatment in both seasons and to a lesser extent by the other treatments. In addition , solarization completely suppressed the diseases under the DPE and DPE+OM treatments in both seasons. Furthermr, it stimulated the plant fresh weight up to 600% under the DPE+OM due to the increase of available nitrogen tow forms, and major cations. The results clearly revealed that using double layer in combination with 10% of chicken manure soil amendment before treatment or the use of double layer sheets alone enhanced the efficiency of soil solarization in the uplands