Effectiveness of anaerobic soil disinfestation and biofumigation for the control of potato and beet cyst nematodes, Globodera spp. (Skarbilovich) and Heterodera schachtii (Schmidt) in residual soils

Abstract

Residual soils, residues from potato and beet processing, are one of the most important pathways for the spread of quarantine pests in potato and beet cultivation. In terms of plant quarantine, residual soils must be free from quarantine pests in order to be able to return them to agricultural habitats. Cyst nematodes, which are highly persistent to environmental influences, are particularly challenging. In the GlobRISK project, the anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) developed in the Netherlands was transferred and optimized as an alternative to the complete flooding of entire fields (inundation). ASD was tested for the specific application of disinfesting residual soils from regulated potato cyst nematodes (Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis) and non-regulated beet cyst nematodes (Hetereodera schachtii). In this study, the effect of ASD on cyst nematodes was investigated at three levels: in microplots under natural environmental conditions, in mesocosms of 15 L buckets in the climate chamber and in microcosms in the laboratory. In the microplot experiment, higher temperatures were achieved by incorporating and foil covering with the product Herbie®72 (Thatchtec/Soilwise), which was specially developed for ASD, compared to uncovered plots including controls without Herbie®72. However, the development of anaerobic conditions in the treated plots was incomplete due to shallow incorporation of the substrate, insufficient soil moisture and incomplete foil cover. As a result, the reduction in hatching rate of G. pallida was only slightly reduced at 98% hatch reduction could only be achieved for soils from three different locations in mesocosms with a volume of 15 L of soil when the substrate Herbie®72 was incorporated, under conditions of complete air exclusion combined with compaction and water saturation of the soils treated. This could be also shown for the substrate mustard seed meal from Brassica juncea, which was incorporated as an alternative to Herbie®72. In summary, it can be concluded that ASD (anaerobic soil disinfestation) and biofumigation using mustard seed meal instead of Herbie®72 under controlled conditions represent an effective alternative to inundation.

Keywords

• Globodera pallida
• G. rostochiensis
• Heterodera schachtii
• anaerobic soil disinfestation
• quarantine pest
• residual soils