Project Number: 6618-22000-040-01
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Aug 01, 2011
End Date: Aug 31, 2013

Objective:
Expand on-going efforts to determine the impacts of soil solarization and steam, and combinations of these treatments for effects on soilborne pests.

Approach:
Field trials will be conducted with a grower cooperator to determine the optimal combination of soil solarization and soil heating through hot air or steam. Trials will be replicated experiments designed to evaluate the impacts of soil heating on efficacy of controlling numerous soilborne pests. These methods will be evaluated for their on-farm practicality, as well as efficacy for the control of native populations of root-knot nematodes, weeds and soilborne plant pathogens. All trials will be conducted using cut flower crops and yields will be collected based on the grower standards.