SOIL SOLARIZATION AND CROP ROTATION TO MANAGE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES IN ORGANIC GREENHOUSES

Since 2008, several on-farm experiments were conducted in Mediterranean organic greenhouse cropping systems in France to assess the efficacy of two complementary methods designed to control root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.): soil solarization and crop rotations with non-susceptible host plants.
Results showed that soil solarization reduced root and soil infestation of root-knot nematodes in subsequent crops and that nematode suppression gradually increased when used every year.
This technique had a short to mid-term effect and reduced the total population of free-living nematodes.
For the second method studied, the host status of 15 different vegetable species was assessed in two experiments and five poor-host crops were identified: lamb’s lettuce, rocket salad, onion, leek and fennel.
These species were introduced in a 5-year trial to compare the effect of a “poor-host rotation” to a “susceptible rotation” (zucchini-lettuce is commonly practiced) on root-knot nematodes.
Results were very encouraging in the first years, but nematode damage reappeared very quickly when a susceptible crop was cultivated after the poor host crops.
It was concluded that soil solarization and crop diversification are certainly efficient strategies to manage root-knot nematodes, but they may either provide no sustainable suppressiveness or negatively impact other soil biotic compartments.

II International Symposium on Organic Greenhouse Horticulture

H. Védie, T. Mateille, J. Tavoillot

Meloidogyne spp., organic farming, poor-host crops, diversification, nematode community

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1041.8