Strawberry production from transplants fumigated with methyl bromide alternatives

Abstract

Research aimed at finding alternatives to methyl bromide has tended to focus on strawberries, since this crop is the largest methyl bromide consumer in Spain, pre-plant soil fumigation with methyl bromide, or with mixtures of methyl bromide and chloropicrin, are standard practices for controlling soil-borne diseases. Methyl bromide, however, has been phased out due to its environmental risks except for critical use exemptions. Soil fumigants were evaluated as alternatives for methyl bromide soil fumigation at two high-elevation strawberry nurseries in Spain. Strawberry plants produced at high elevation nurseries were evaluated for fruit yield at two commercial fruit production sites. All fumigation treatments had higher stolon production than plants grown in non-fumigated soil. The results indicate that pre-plant soil treatment with chloropicrin alone or 1,3-dichloropropene plus 35% chloropicrin could be potential alternatives to methyl bromide for soil treatment at high-elevation strawberry nurseries in Spain.