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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144779

Title: METHYL BROMIDE ALTERNATIVES FOR TREE, VINE, AND ROSE FIELD NURSERIES.

Author
item Schneider, Sally
item Trout, Thomas
item Gerik, James
item AJWA, HUSEIN - UC DAVIS

Submitted to: Proceedings of International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/6/2002
Publication Date: 11/6/2002
Citation: SCHNEIDER, S.M., TROUT, T.J., GERIK, J.S., AJWA, H.A. METHYL BROMIDE ALTERNATIVES FOR TREE, VINE, AND ROSE FIELD NURSERIES.. PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE ON METHYL BROMIDE ALTERNAT. 2002.

Interpretive Summary: Soil fumigation with methyl bromide has commonly been used prior to planting field nurseries to insure a high quality product and to meet California regulations that require nursery stock for farm planting to be commercially clean with respect to economically important nematodes. Growers of perennial nursery crops, such as trees, vines, and roses, will need alternatives to methyl bromide in light of the on-going phaseout of methyl bromide. Iodomethane+chloropicrin (shank-injected and drip-applied) and drip-applied Inline, chloropicrin, and propargyl bromide each produced gall-free grapevines that were similar in quality to plants in methyl bromide treated plots. Nematode populations at planting have been reduced to undetectable levels down to a depth of 150 cm by several shank-injected and drip-applied treatments, including iodomethane+chloropicrin, Telone C35 (1,3-D+chloropicrin), and chloropicrin alone. These trials suggest some of these treatments could be viable alternatives to methyl bromide for nursery production.

Technical Abstract: Soil fumigation with methyl bromide has commonly been used prior to planting field nurseries to insure a high quality product and to meet California regulations that require nursery stock for farm planting to be commercially clean with respect to economically important nematodes. Growers of perennial nursery crops, such as trees, vines, and roses, will need alternatives to methyl bromide in light of the on-going phaseout of methyl bromide. 11 soil treatments were tested in a grapevine field nursery trial. Galled roots were found at harvest on Thompson Seedless and Cabernet Sauvignon plants in the untreated, herbicide, and sodium azide plots. No galls were found on the rootknot-resistant Freedom rootstock. 14 soil treatments were tested in a rose field nursery trial. All treatments significantly lowered the populations of Pythium spp. in the top 30cm compared to the untreated control. Nematode control for all chemical treatments, except the 200 lb. rate of chloropicrin, was comparable to methyl bromide down to 150 cm soil depth. Nematode control in plots treated with the 200 lb. rate of chloropicrin was comparable to the untreated control below 90 cm soil depth. Iota, a biological material, did not differ from the untreated control in nematode control at any soil depth. 10 soil treatments were tested in a commercial tree, vine, and berry nursery. Nematode populations in all chemical treatments were statistically the same as methyl bromide at all soil depths. Significant rootknot nematode populations were found in all soil depths in the untreated control plots.