Here is the October '97 sanet archive post on alternatives to methyl
bromide, including compost-based potting mix amended with mycorrhizae
inoculant to raise strawberry plugs.
Sanet archive
http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail/html-home/21-html/0367.html
Alternatives to Methyl Bromide Yields Benefits to Farmers
Steve Diver (steved@ncatark.uark.edu)
Sat, 4 Oct 1997 00:51:38 +0000
Research on Alternatives to Methyl Bromide Yields Benefits to
Farmers
A side benefit of the search for alternatives to methyl bromide,
scheduled for phase-out in 2001, is the research and education on
cultural practices and biological controls that are common to organic
agriculture, or are closely aligned with technologies appropriate to
sustainable agriculture:
*crop rotations
*cover crops to enhance soil foodweb
*fumi-toxic brassica cover crops
*soil amendments--compost, animal manures, green manures, sewage
sludge, animal byproducts, fish byproducts, chitin, brassica green
chop
*soil solarization
*steam pasteurization
*hot water
*microbial antagonists--SoilGaurd, Mycostop, Promot
*microbial nematacides--DiTera
*microbial inoculation--mycorrhizae, trichoderma
*natural biological control of soil pathogens--antagonism,
competition, antibiotics, induced resistance, suppressive soils,
predation
*disease-suppressive composts
*resistant varieties
*cultural practices--delayed planting, transplants, microbial
inoculation, cover crops, soil amendments
While methyl bromide has played an important role in the development
of certain horticultural industries, especially in California and
Florida, an instructive note is that 90-95% of all crops in the U.S.
are grown without fumigants like methyl bromide.
The situation in Florida and California is skewed, largely due to
production of continuously cropped monocultures such as strawberries,
tomatoes, and peppers on high value land. Nursery and ornamental crops
account for 10% of methyl bromide use in the U.S.
The soils that produce grain crops on the vast acreages of farmland,
as well as those that support small-acreage horticultural crops in
many parts of the country , do not require fumigation because
husbandry practices do not push soil-borne diseases and nematodes to
the limit.
Thus, for a majority of farmers, methyl bromide is a non-issue.
And for the methyl bromide-dependent California and Florida farmers,
there is information emerging which suggests that adoption of
sustainable farming technologies, especially those that focus on soil
health, is a necessary step.
Three resources on alternatives to methyl bromide worth a look:
1. 1996 Annual International Research Conference on
Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reductions,
proceedings of a conference held November 4-6, 1996 in
Orlando, Florida.
2. IPM Alternatives to Methyl Bromide, a compilation of
articles from The IPM Practitioner
3. Methyl Bromide Alternatives, a USDA web site with
full-text articles and technical reports
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/july1997/index.htm
=============================================
Selected articles from USDA's Methyl Bromide Alternatives site:
=============================================
Biologically Controlling Soilborne Pests: A Research Overviews
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan97/soilpest.htm
California Strawberries: An Integrated Approach Overview
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan97/calstraw.htm
Soil Amendments Instead of Methly Bromide?
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan97/amend.htm
Effect of Soil Solarization & Cover Crops on Soilborne Pests
& Plant Pathogens
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/oct96/soil.htm
Netherlands' Alternatives to Methyl Bromide
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/oct96/nether.htm
Potential Alternatives for Floriculture
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/july96/macdon1.htm
Portable Unit Sterilizes Soil
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/july1997/steam.htm
Broccoli Chemical Soil Fumigants
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/july96/subbar1.htm
Alternatives to MeBr for Control of Soilborne Pests of Grapevines &
Tree Fruits & Nuts http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/oct96/grapev.htm
Use of Hot Water for Nematode Control: A Research Summary
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/april96/noling.htm
DiTera: Controlling Nematodes Biologically
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan97/ditera.htm
SoilGard Story
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan96/lumsden.htm
Southern Root-knot Nematode Resistant Bell Peppers
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/july1997/pepper.htm
Summary of 1995-96 Large-Scale Field Demonstration/Validation Plots
for Soil Solarization (Tomatoes)
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/april97/techrpt.htm
===============================================
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