Soil Treatment Method

There are several methods of treating soil so that it can be free from   fungi  and bacteria. For fungi fungicides are used   and for bacteria, bactericides are used. The major methods are solarisation and fumigation. Solarisation involves thermal disinfecting of soil  by trapping  solar radiation under plastic mulch and is done to eliminate soil-borne pests. One cover most soil with clear plastic  to transmit heat as deep as possible into the soil. It is carried  out  for 3-8 weeks and probably during  the hottest periods of the year. Combination  of solarisation  and Dazomet or Calcium cynamid results in good  control of root-knot nematodes. Fumigation  involves the use of fumigants  to  treat the soil. They act as  toxicants to soil-borne pathogens and other harmful organisms. The most commonly used fumigants  are  chloropicrin which is a liquid applied  into soil that is already covered with plastic sheet. The treatment is carried out for 1-3 days under cover and for two weeks or until the gas odour cannot be sensed.1,3-Dichloropene is another fumigant which is effective in the control of nematodes, insects and also suppresses some weeds.