ARS | Publication request: Nonfumigant Alternatives to Methyl Bromide for Production of Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

Submitted to: International Journal of Pest Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2009
Publication Date: July 29, 2009
Citation: McSorley, R., Wang, K.-H., Rosskopf, E.N., Kokalis-Burelle, N., Petersen, H.N.H., Gill, H.K., Krueger, R. 2009. Nonfumigant alternatives to methyl bromide for management of nematodes, soil-borne disease, and weeds in production of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus). International Journal of Pest Management 55 (4), pp. 265-273

Technical Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted in north Florida to examine effects of solarization and reduced-risk pesticides on weeds, nematodes, soil-borne diseases, and yield of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus). Five treatments were replicated five times in a randomized complete block design: fumigation with 80:20 methyl bromide:chloropicrin, solarization, solarization + Kodiak® (product with Bacillus subtilis), solarization + BiophosTM (product with dipotassium phosphonate and dipotassium phosphate), and non-treated control. Methyl bromide was generally superior to treatments involving solarization, which in turn were superior to the control, for improving flower yield and managing weeds, nematodes, and plant mortality. In the second year, solarization was more effective than methyl bromide in reducing plant mortality; however, surviving plants were larger and more productive following methyl bromide. In the second year, BiophosTM + solarization was as effective as methyl bromide in improving plant height and yield in the first harvest, but not in subsequent harvests or total yield for the season. While methyl bromide remained superior for managing pest problems, integrating solarization with BiophosTM provided benefits similar to methyl bromide in some instances.