Abstract
The effectiveness of solar heating of the soil by means of mulching with transparent polyethylene, against soilborne pathogens of onions, was tested in two field experiments: at Yotvata (hot region) and at Gefen (cooler one). In both experiments, solar heating significantly reduced the incidence and severity of the pink root disease caused byPyrenochaeta terrestris by 73-100% during the 6-7 months of plant growth.Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium infection, and weed populations (except forMelilotus) were also considerably reduced by this treatment. In addition, stand and plant growth were improved and yields were increased by 109-125% at Yotvata and by 59-62% at Gefen, as compared with the untreated control. Similar results were obtained when soil was moistened by sprinkler irrigation before applying the mulch or by sprinkler irrigation supplemented by drip irrigation under the mulch. Pentachloronitrobenzene did not control pink root disease.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abawi, G.S. and Lorbeer, J.W. (1972) Several aspects of the ecology and pathology ofFusarium oxysporum f. sp.cepae.Phytopathology 62: 870–876.
Ahmed, A.A.G. and Harrington, J.F. (1974) Onion seed yield affected by pink root disease, soil fumigation, mother bulb fertilization and bulb size.HortScience 9: 394–396.
Bristow, P.R., Katan, J. and Lockwood, J.L. (1973) Control ofRhizoctonia solani by penta-chloronitrobenzene accumulated from soil by bean plants.Phytopathology 73: 808–813.
Dubitzki, F. and Katan, J. (1969) Studies on seedling collapse of onions and means for its control. Abstracts of the Second Israel Congress of Plant Pathology. p. 19.
Elad, Y., Katan, J. and Chet, I. (1980) Physical, biological and chemical control integrated for soilborne diseases in potatoes.Phytopathology 70 (in press).
Grinstein, A., Katan, J., Abdul Razik, A., Zeydan, O. and Elad, Y. (1979) Control ofSclerotium rolfsii and weeds in peanuts by solar heating of the soil.Pl. Dis. Reptr 63: 1056–1059.
Grinstein, A., Orion, D., Greenberger, A. and Katan, J. (1979) Solar heating of the soil for the control ofVerticillium dahliae andPratylenchus thornei in potatoes. pp. 431–438.in: Schippers, B. and Gams, W. [Eds]. Soil-Borne Pathogens. Academic Press, New York, NY.
Joffe, A.Z., Auscher, R. and Palti, J. (1972) Distribution and pathogenicity ofFusarium species associated with onions in Israel.Phytopath. medit. 11: 159–162.
Katan, J. (1974) Symptomless carriers of the tomato Fusarium wilt pathogen.Phytopathology 61: 1213–1217.
Katan, J., Abramski, M. and Levi, D. (1975) Transport and transmission ofFusarium pathogens by tomato and onion seeds.Phytoparasitica 3: 74 (Abstr.).
Katan, J., Greenberger, A., Alon, H. and Grinstein, A. (1976) Solar heating by polyethylene mulching for the control of diseases caused by soilborne pathogens.Phytopathology 76: 683–688.
Katan, J., Greenberger, A., Grinstein, A. and Alon, H. (1976) Additional studies on the control ofVerticillium dahliae by polyethylene mulching.Proc. 2nd Int. Verticillium Symp. p. 27.
Krikun, J., Orion, D. and Alon, Y. (1979) (Control of nematode and pink root in onions.)Hassadeh 59: 1304–1306. (in Hebrew)
Mahrer, I. (1979) Prediction of soil temperature of a soil mulch with transparent polyethylene.J. appl. Meteorol. 18: 1263–1267.
Pullman, G.S. and DeVay, J.E. (1977) Control ofVerticillium dahliae by plastic tarping.Proc. Am. Phytopath. Soc. 4: 210.
Sando, Z., Even, S. and Hoffman, A. (1977) (Control ofOrobanche by methyl bromide and by thermal disinfestation.)Hassadeh 57: 2321–2323. (in Hebrew)
Shlevin, E. and Katan, J. (1975)Rhizoctonia disease of carrot seedlings and its control.Pl. Dis. Reptr 59: 29–32.
Sneh, B., Netzer, D. and Krikun, J. (1974) Isolation and identification ofPyrenochaeta terrestris from soil on dilution plates.Phytopathology 64: 275–276.
Vaughan, E.K. and Siemer, S.R. (1971) Soil fumigation for onion pink root.Down to Earth 26: 1–4.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Katan, J., Rotem, I., Finkel, Y. et al. Solar heating of the soil for the control of pink root and other soilborne diseases in onions. Phytoparasitica 8, 39–50 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02986234
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02986234