New approaches to soil disinfestation for specialty crops

Authors: Rosskopf, Erin; DI GIOIA, FRANCESCO - Pennsylvania State University

Submitted to: Handbook of Vegetable and Herb Diseases
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/2022
Publication Date: 3/17/2023
Citation: Rosskopf, E.N., Di Gioia, F. 2023. New approaches to soil disinfestation for specialty crops. Handbook of Vegetable and Herb Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35512-8_12-1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35512-8_12-1

Interpretive Summary: Soil disinfestation is a method of pest control that has been practiced since the late 1800s, with the application of steam. This was followed with the development of chloropicrin for soil fumigation in the 1920s. In the 1950s, the introduction of methyl bromide as a soil fumigant changed numerous specialty crop agricultural production systems forever. This broad-spectrum fumigant provided pest control for major vegetable and berry fruit crops, particularly in California and Florida for more than 50 years. It allowed growers to dramatically increase yields, but its loss due to its negative impact on the ozone layer left producers without a stand-alone tool to control existing and emerging pests. In the last 20 years, focused research has resulted in the optimization of application strategies for existing alternative chemical fumigants, the development of new chemicals, and extraordinary progress in utilizing non-chemical soil disinfestation methods and biologically-based systems for pest control.

Technical Abstract: Soil disinfestation is a method of pest control that has been practiced since the late 1800s, with the application of steam. This was followed with the development of chloropicrin for soil fumigation in the 1920s. In the 1950s, the introduction of methyl bromide as a soil fumigant changed numerous specialty crop agricultural production systems forever. This broad-spectrum fumigant provided pest control for major vegetable and berry fruit crops, particularly in California and Florida for more than 50 years. It allowed growers to dramatically increase yields, but its loss due to its negative impact on the ozone layer left producers without a stand-alone tool to control existing and emerging pests. In the last 20 years, focused research has resulted in the optimization of application strategies for existing alternative chemical fumigants, the development of new chemicals, and extraordinary progress in utilizing non-chemical soil disinfestation methods and biologically-based systems for pest control.