SOIL SOLARIZATION AND FUMIGANT ALTERNATIVES TO METHYL-BROMIDE FOR STRAWBERRY FRUIT PRODUCTION

Soil solarization, methyl bromide-chloropicrin, and combinations of me thyl bromide-chloropicrin and solarization were evaluated in a strawbe rry fruit production study at a site having a long history of soil fum igation. There were few yield differences due to treatments. A high ra te of broiler manure reduced fruit yields for the entire season, while a low rate reduced early yields only. The yield reductions for these two treatments appeared to be related to loss of plants due to salinit y effects from the manure. Plant vigor in December and February appear ed unchanged except for the manure treatments. Weed control in beds wa s similar for all treatments by mid-April. Sting nematodes in the soil around the plant roots were absent at the end of the harvest season e xcept for those around one plant each in a non-fumigated plot and a 22 4 kg ha(-1) methyl bromide-chloropicrin plot. The fumigation history o f the trial area may have contributed to the lack of significant treat ment differences.