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It is now officially summer and constant triple-digit daytime temperatures will
be the norm until at least the beginning of autumn in southwest Arizona. Although
we may not personally appreciate the summer heat, it is the perfect time for soil
solarization. Briefly, solarization of soil is accomplished by covering moist soil
with clear plastic, then allowing the sun’s energy to heat the soil over a period
of time. A great deal of research in diverse geographical regions has demonstrated
that soil solarization can raise temperatures to levels lethal to many different
types of plant pathogenic fungi as well as weed seeds. The plastic serves to both
conserve soil moisture and retard heat loss. In field solarization trials conducted
a few years ago in Yuma, the average temperature of soil was 113°F at a depth of
2 inches during a 1-month summer solarization period, compared to 102°F for nonsolarized
soil. The average peak afternoon temperature in solarized soil during these trials
was 128°F. In these yearly solarization trials, conducted in soil naturally infested
with the lettuce Fusarium wilt pathogen, disease incidence in a subsequent planting
of lettuce was reduced from 42 to 91%, depending on the trial, compared to disease
levels in nonsolarized plots. Soil solarization, like any other cultural practice,
has its benefits as well as drawbacks. Documented benefits include significant population
reductions of different soil-borne plant pathogens as well as numbers of viable
weed seeds. Drawbacks include the cost of buying, laying, maintaining, and removing
the plastic film.
To contact Mike Matheron go to: matheron@ag.arizona.edu.
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For questions or comments on any of the topics please contact Marco Pena at the Yuma Agricultural Center.
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