Control of Rosollinia necatrix by Deep Placement and Hot Treatment with Methyl Bromide¹

Rosellinia necatrix, the cause of white root rot in fruit trees, was efficiently controlled in an infested avocado orchard soil, by applying methyl bromide by deep injection (up to 90 cm) of cold gas and by surface application of hot gas, at a dosage (for heavy soil) of 1500 kg/ha and 1000 kg/ha, respectively. Efficiency of control was evaluated: 1) by testing pieces of naturally diseased avocado roots buried in the soil before treatment at different depths up to 100 cm; 2) by planting avocado and almonds in the treated field and in soil samples; 3) by burying avocado leaves in the soil samples. All the evaluaton tests showed that both treatments of methyl bromide were effective in controlling R. necatrix completely up to the depth of 100 cm, immediately and 9 months after treatment.