Experimental research by Southwest Florida Farms, a division of Gargiulo, Inc., Immokalee, FL, shows that Telone C-17 worked as effectively as methyl bromide in fumigating soil to rid it of pests before planting bell peppers.

"There were no obvious differences in control of nematodes or soilborne diseases in plots fumigated with methyl bromide and those treated with the chemical Telone C-17," says Tom Mueller. Director of research and development for Gargiulo, Mueller says that both treatments controlled the weed nutsedge fairly equally. He combined Devrinol herbicide with Telone as an in-bed treatment.

"We planted bell peppers in Immokalee back in January of this year, which is a late planting for this area of Florida," he says. "The late winter was also particularly cold, which delayed crop growth. So, we only harvested the crop twice. First harvest yields were considerably higher from the Telone treatment, but the second-pick yields were higher from the methyl bromide treatment. However, overall yields were slightly higher from the Telone treatment."

Mueller's research was part of a large-scale study initiated and conducted by DowElanco in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and its Department of Environmental Protection.

In December 1995, Mueller and colleagues treated one-half of a 16-acre field with Telone C-17, using conventional farm equipment. They njected the chemical into a preformed, raised bed and immediately covered it with polyethylene plastic mulch. About 22.5 gallons of Telone per acre were applied. Prior to bed formation, they applied Devrinol herbicide at a rate of 3 pounds per acre to control nutsedge.

"Using the same equipment, we applied methyl bromide and chloropicrin (98%/2%) to the remainder of the field on the same day," says Mueller.

A month later, bell pepper transplants were put in the treated field, and irrigated and fertilized through drip irrigation. Field soil type was a Myakka fine sand, common in southern Florida, a growing area characterized by sandy soils, high rainfall, and a naturally high water table that is considered environmentally sensitive.

"Crop growth on the complete experimental site was normal and vigorous," Mueller reports. "We plan to continue this research in the 1996-97 growing season to get data on side-by-side comparisons of methyl bromide and Telone C-17."