JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Solarization of field soil through mulching with transparent polyethylene sheets alone and in integration with farm yard manure (40 T/ha) and/or metalayl (25 kg/ha) during summer 1994-95 for five weeks in Isfahan resulted in an increase in temperature of 10 °C (± 1) and moisture preservation of up to 82%. Solarization effectively reduced foot-rot of cucumber (Phytophthora drechsleri) in the above treatments up to 88%, 96% and 95%, respectively.

Solarization, farm yard manure and their integration reduced the infection of Meloidogyne javanica up to 50%, 57% and 83% while plant parasitic nematodes were also reduced to 72%, 75% and 86%, respectively. The populations of free living nematodes increased only in farm yard manure and in integration with solarization by 30% and 53%, respectively.

Solarization effectively reduced the populations of almost all weeds by around 100%, except for Cyperus rotundus and Sonchus asper which were reduced by 59% and 44%, respectively.

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Some of the field crops are severely affected by the Fusarium foot and root-rot in the west of Iran, Hamadan. Pathogenic Fusarium species are potentially severe destructive diseases and could be a major limiting factor for the cereals and potato production in this province. The purpose of this study was to determine the possible effect of soil solarization on the population dynamics of Fusarium spp. The propagules under Hamadan climatic conditions. Pre-tarping irrigation to achieve the field capacity was carried out prior to the various treatments including the black and transparent polyethylene plastic sheets. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized block design with three replicates, in a naturally infested soil. After three, five and eight weeks, soil samples were collected from different soil depths in appropriate plots. The propagule numbers of Fusaria were counted through dilution plate method using selective Nash & Synder and PDA media. The results indicated that the propagules of Fusarium in treated soils (five and eight weeks treatments) were significantly decreased as compared with the three week treated and untreated control plots. Better results obtained with the transparent sheets after eight weeks, followed by treatments with five weeks of mulching. Accordingly, the hydrothermal control of the Fusarium foot and the root-rot disease seem to be effective under the cool and temperate area of Hamadan.