Dissipation of fomesafen in fumigated, anaerobic soil disinfestation‐treated, and organic‐amended soil in Florida tomato production systems

Tomato production in Ohio protected culture systems is hindered by a soilborne disease complex consisting of corky root rot (Pyrenochaeta lycopersici), black dot root rot (Colletotrichum coccodes), Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae), and root-knot (Meloidogyne hapla and M. incognita). In a survey of 71 high tunnels, C. coccodes was detected in 90% of high tunnels, while P. lycopersici (46%), V. dahliae (48%) and Meloidogyne spp. (45%) were found in nearly half of high tunnels. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) with wheat bran (20.2 Mg/ha) plus molasses (10.1 Mg/ha) and grafting onto ‘Maxifort’ or ‘Estamino’ rootstocks were evaluated in high tunnels on five farms. In post-ASD bioassays using trial soils, root and taproot rot severity were significantly reduced following ASD, and root-knot galling was also reduced by ASD. Soilborne pathogenic fungi were isolated less frequently from bioassay plants grown in ASD-treated soils than control soils. Similar results were observed in tomato plants grown in high tunnels. Root rot was significantly reduced by ASD in nearly all trials. Corky root rot severity was highest in non-grafted plants grown in non-treated soils, while the lowest levels of corky root rot were observed in Maxifort-grafted plants. Black dot root rot severity was higher or equivalent in grafted plants compared to non-grafted plants. Root-knot severity was lower in plants grown in ASD-treated soils in high tunnels compared to plants grown in control soils, but grafting did not significantly decrease root-knot severity. However, soil treatment did not significantly impact yield, and grafting led to inconsistent impacts on yield.

Download Full-text

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation to Manage Soilborne Diseases in Muck Soil Vegetable Production Systems

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-09-18-1578-re ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 103 (7) ◽

pp. 1757-1762 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anna L. Testen ◽

Sally A. Miller

Keyword(s):

Soil Ph ◽

Wheat Bran ◽

Production Systems ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Root Knot Nematode ◽

Soilborne Diseases ◽

Soil Disinfestation ◽

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation ◽

Muck Soil

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) was evaluated as a tool for managing the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and clubroot disease, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, in mustard greens (Brassica juncea) produced on Ohio muck soils in Huron and Stark Counties. In two consecutive years of field trials, wheat bran (20.2 Mg ha−1), molasses (10.1 Mg ha−1), and wheat bran (20.2 Mg ha−1) plus molasses (10.1 Mg ha−1) were assessed as ASD carbon sources and compared with nonamended controls. Data were collected from plants grown in the field and from plants grown in field-treated soils in growth chamber-based post-ASD bioassays. Anaerobic conditions developed in ASD-treated soils in both trial years, as indicated by polyvinyl chloride pipes painted with an iron oxide paint. Soil pH did not decrease during ASD at the Huron County site of the mustard greens clubroot trials in either trial year but soil pH decreased significantly during ASD in Stark County soils treated with ASD with either wheat bran or wheat bran plus molasses compared with control soils in both trial years. Impacts of ASD on plant biomass were inconsistent in direct field measurements; however, significantly higher biomasses were observed in lettuce and mustard greens grown in bioassay soils collected from plots treated with ASD with wheat bran-based amendments compared with plants grown in soils from control plots. Based on direct field measurements and bioassays, the use of ASD with any carbon source led to significant reductions in root-knot nematode galling on lettuce compared with controls. Reductions in clubroot severity in mustard greens following ASD were less consistent; however, significant reductions in clubroot severity were observed in the field in one trial year and in both years of bioassays. The results of these studies indicate that ASD is a promising tool for managing soilborne diseases in muck soil vegetable production systems.

Download Full-text

Implementation of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Florida Tomato Production

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-hs1345-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 (6) ◽

pp. 5

Author(s):

Bodh R. Paudel ◽

Francesco Di Gioia ◽

Qiang Zhu ◽

Xin Zhao ◽

Monica Ozores-Hampton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pest Management ◽

Crop Production ◽

New Technique ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Soil Disinfestation ◽

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Production Improvement

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a relatively new technique that appears to be a promising tool for soilborne pest management and crop production improvement. This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department is intended to introduce ASD for Florida vegetable growers. Written by Bodh R. Paudel, Francesco Di Gioia, Qiang Zhu, Xin Zhao, Monica Ozores-Hampton, Marilyn E. Swisher, Kaylene Sattanno, Jason C. Hong, and Erin N. Rosskopf. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1345

Download Full-text

Economic Analysis of Grafting and Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation for Tomato Production in South Carolina

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech04858-21 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Tanner Donahoo ◽

Lisha Zhang ◽

Matthew Cutulle ◽

Abolfazl Hajihassani

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Field Trials ◽

Chicken Manure ◽

Treatment Combination ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Soil Disinfestation ◽

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation ◽

Net Returns

Increasing regulations and restrictions regarding on-farm chemical use and growing consumer demands for organic food products warrant the development of efficient biological methods for plant disease control and pest management. Grafting and anaerobic soil disinfestation are two sustainable crop production techniques developed to control and regulate weeds, root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita), and soilborne pathogens. Therefore, the present study explores the economic impact of using grafting and anaerobic soil disinfestation, independently and in conjunction, to determine the best combination in terms of yield and net returns for producers. This study drew from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) field trials conducted in 2020 on a 0.5-acre plot at the Clemson Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston, SC, where five grafting and three anaerobic soil disinfestation treatments were used in combinations for comparisons. Each treatment combination was subjected to sealed (plastic mulch covering a plot punctured 5 weeks after applying anaerobic soil disinfestation treatment) and unsealed (plastic mulch covering a plot punctured immediately after the application of anaerobic soil disinfestation treatment) plot conditions during the anaerobic soil disinfestation phase of plant bed preparation. Treatment combinations with cottonseed meal carbon-sourced anaerobic soil disinfestation were unviable because of lower net returns compared with treatment combinations without anaerobic soil disinfestation in nearly every case. Grafting (‘Roadster’ self-grafted) combined with molasses and chicken manure carbon-sourced anaerobic soil disinfestation under unsealed plot conditions was the most optimal treatment combination in the field trials with the greatest gains (net return per acre) to producers. The positive synergistic effects of combining these methods suggest that grafting and anaerobic soil disinfestation yield better results in conjunction than separately.

Download Full-text

Economic Analysis of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation for Open-field Fresh-market Tomato Production in Southwest and North Florida

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech04332-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 777-787 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lijia Shi ◽

Jinghui Wang ◽

Zhifeng Gao ◽

Xin Zhao ◽

Francesco Di Gioia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Economic Analysis ◽

Open Field ◽

Large Scale ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Control Plant ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Soil Disinfestation ◽

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation

With the phase-out of methyl bromide due to its impact on ozone depletion, research has focused on developing alternative chemical and biologically based soil disinfestation methods. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) was developed to control plant-parasitic nematodes, weeds, and soilborne pathogens. However, whether farmers will adopt ASD methods on a large scale is unknown. This study evaluates the economic viability of using ASD in open-field, fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production, drawing on data from field experiments conducted in 2015 in Immokalee, FL, and Citra, FL. The experiment included three treatments: chemical soil fumigation (CSF), ASD1 [the standard ASD treatment with 1482 gal/acre molasses and 9 tons/acre composted poultry litter (CPL)], and ASD0.5 (the reduced rate ASD treatment with 741 gal/acre molasses and 4.5 tons/acre CPL). Results from the economic analysis show that ASD treatments require higher labor costs than CSF regarding land preparation and treatment application. However, yields from ASD treatments are higher than those resulting from CSF, and the improvement in yield was enough to offset the increased labor costs. Relative to CSF, ASD0.5, and ASD1 achieved additional net returns of $630.38/acre and $2770.13/acre, respectively, in Immokalee, FL. However, due to unexpected conditions unrelated to soil treatments, the net return of ASD1 was lower than that of CSF in Citra, FL. Breakeven analysis indicates that ASD treatments would remain favorable even with an increase in the molasses price. However, when the tomato price is low, ASD could potentially lose its advantage over CSF.

Download Full-text

Impacts of anaerobic soil disinfestation and chemical fumigation on soil microbial communities in field tomato production system

Applied Soil Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.12.018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 126 ◽

pp. 165-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Haichao Guo ◽

Xin Zhao ◽

Erin N. Rosskopf ◽

Francesco Di Gioia ◽

Jason C. Hong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Communities ◽

Production System ◽

Soil Microbial Communities ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Soil Disinfestation ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation

Download Full-text

Evaluating anaerobic soil disinfestation and other biological soil management strategies for open-field tomato production in Florida

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170518000571 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 274-285 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bodh R. Paudel ◽

Francesco Di Gioia ◽

Xin Zhao ◽

Monica Ozores-Hampton ◽

Jason C. Hong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Untreated Control ◽

Crop Production ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Fresh Market ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Root Knot Nematodes ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Soil Disinfestation ◽

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation ◽

Crop Performance

AbstractIn the search for alternative practices to chemical soil fumigation (CSF), anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has proven to be a promising tool for soil-borne pest management and crop production improvement. The ASD treatment with composted poultry litter (CPL) and molasses (M, a labile carbon source) was identified as an effective approach for a biologically based soil disinfestation system in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in Florida. However, environmental and food-safety concerns are associated with animal manure-based amendments, which led to the exploration of composted yard waste (CYW) as a potential substitute for CPL in ASD application. In this study, field trials were conducted in Citra and Immokalee, FL to examine the effects of ASD using CYW, CPL and M compared with a commercially available microbial amendment system on root-knot nematodes, weeds, fruit yield and quality of fresh-market tomato. Treatments included (1) ASD with CPL (11 Mg ha−1) and M (6.9 m3 ha−1) (ASD0.5), (2) ASD with CYW (26.9 Mg ha−1) and M (CYW1 + M), (3) ASD with CYW (13.5 Mg ha−1) and M (CYW0.5 + M), (4) Soil Symphony Amendment (SSA), (5) CYW (26.9 Mg ha−1) alone (CYW1) and (6) a combination of CYW1 + SSA, in comparison with (7) untreated control and (8) CSF (Pic-Clor 60 at 224 kg ha−1). Cumulative soil anaerobiosis was greater in ASD0.5 compared with all the other treatments. The root-knot nematode gall index ratings on the tomato crop were significantly lower in CSF, ASD0.5, CYW1 + M and CYW0.5 + M than untreated control in Citra. Although CYW1 and SSA alone had a moderately suppressive effect on weed coverage and root-knot nematodes, their positive impact on crop performance was limited when used alone. ASD0.5, CYW1 + M and CSF had significantly higher marketable and total fruit yields than untreated control in both locations, while all treatments showed promising results in the Immokalee trial in comparison with untreated control. In general, few differences in major fruit quality attributes were found. Although using CYW in ASD was not as effective as CPL in creating soil anaerobic conditions, the enhanced crop performance in CYW1 + M and CYW0.5 + M suggests the potential of using CYW as an alternative source of organic amendment in combination with M to achieve benefits similar to those obtained with CPL-based ASD.

Download Full-text

Semi-Transparent Organic Photovoltaics Applied as Greenhouse Shade for Spring and Summer Tomato Production in Arid Climate

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11061152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1152

Author(s):

Rebekah Waller ◽

Murat Kacira ◽

Esther Magadley ◽

Meir Teitel ◽

Ibrahim Yehia

Keyword(s):

Solar Radiation ◽

Organic Photovoltaics ◽

Crop Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

High Light ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Control Group ◽

Tomato Crop ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Control Section

Recognizing the growing interest in the application of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with greenhouse crop production systems, in this study we used flexible, roll-to-roll printed, semi-transparent OPV arrays as a roof shade for a greenhouse hydroponic tomato production system during a spring and summer production season in the arid southwestern U.S. The wavelength-selective OPV arrays were installed in a contiguous area on a section of the greenhouse roof, decreasing the transmittance of all solar radiation wavelengths and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) wavelengths (400–700 nm) to the OPV-shaded area by approximately 40% and 37%, respectively. Microclimate conditions and tomato crop growth and yield parameters were measured in both the OPV-shaded (‘OPV’) and non-OPV-shaded (‘Control’) sections of the greenhouse. The OPV shade stabilized the canopy temperature during midday periods with the highest solar radiation intensities, performing the function of a conventional shading method. Although delayed fruit development and ripening in the OPV section resulted in lower total yields compared to the Control section (24.6 kg m−2 and 27.7 kg m−2, respectively), after the fourth (of 10 total) harvests, the average weekly yield, fruit number, and fruit mass were not significantly different between the treatment (OPV-shaded) and control group. Light use efficiency (LUE), defined as the ratio of total fruit yield to accumulated PAR received by the plant canopy, was nearly twice as high as the Control section, with 21.4 g of fruit per mole of PAR for plants in the OPV-covered section compared to 10.1 g in the Control section. Overall, this study demonstrated that the use of semi-transparent OPVs as a seasonal shade element for greenhouse production in a high-light region is feasible. However, a higher transmission of PAR and greater OPV device efficiency and durability could make OPV shades more economically viable, providing a desirable solution for co-located greenhouse crop production and renewable energy generation in hot and high-light intensity regions.

Download Full-text