THE USE OF DAZOMET VIA THE ‘PLANTING THROUGH’ TECHNIQUE IN HORTICULTURAL CROPS

A series of commercial grower, replicated small plot, and glasshouse trials have been carried out in the UK and Germany, during the period 1985 to 1992, to establish the selectivity to a range of crops of dazomet applied via the ‘planting through’ technique.
Several different polyethylene types, commonly used in commercial horticultural crops, were evaluated to establish the rate of diffusion through them of MITC (the sterilising gas produced when dazomet is mixed with moist soil). Treatments were applied both in the autumn for planting out the following spring, or in the spring for planting out the same year.
As with conventionally applied dazomet, a cress safety test must be satisfactorily completed before planting through can commence.
A venting period (cutting holes in the polyethylene sheets to encourage dispersal of MITC residues prior to planting) is recommended, although not essential.

Trials have generally achieved excellent weed control with increased crop vigour, yields and total fresh weights also recorded. Verticillium dahliae occurred at two sites and was well controlled with dazomet.

Further work reported by Harris (1990) has shown excellent control of V.dahliae, and also Phytophthora spp., nematodes and weeds in strawberries where dazomet has been applied via the planting through technique.
Large yield responses were also recorded.

IV International Symposium on Soil and Substrate Infestation and Disinfestation

L.A. Middleton, N.J. Lawrence

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.382.8