A SOLAR COLLECTOR FOR SOIL DISINFESTATION

A solar collector to be used for disinfestation of substrates for plan t propagation is described. At a high solar radiation intensity (more than 1 cal cm-2 min-1), one day of treatment was sufficient for disinf estation of soil infested with Sclerotium rolfsii, Sclerotinia sclerot iorum, Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli or Pythium aphanidermatum. Treat ment of soil in the solar collector strongly reduced the total numbers of fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes. The nutrient status of the soil was only slightly changed and did not result in an effect on plant gr owth.