Abstract
Soil disinfestation is one of the most effective means of controlling soilborne pests and improving plant health. Soil disinfestation is a drastic means applied to soil before planting in order to reduce or eliminate soilborne pests. Effective soil disinfestation aims to promote healthy and productive crops. All crops are sensitive to one or more harmful biotic or abiotic soilborne agents that affect plant health and productivity. The incidence of these agents increases with frequent cropping, especially under monoculture. The biotic agents consist of major and minor pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, nematodes, soil viruses, arthropods, parasitic plants, and weeds. These are referred to here as ‘pests.’ The abiotic agents include, among others, the accumulation of harmful chemicals from various sources, deficiencies in essential mineral nutrients, and deterioration in physical status of the soil. In addition, the population of beneficial microorganisms such as mycorrhizae and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria may also decrease with continuous cropping. These harmful effects are reflected in either typical disease symptoms and eventually plant death or in poor plant health and growth retardation. The latter phenomena (which are especially connected with continuous cropping of the same crop in the same plot) are also referred to as soil ‘fatigue,’ soil ‘sickness,’ and ‘replant disease’ (the latter typical in tree plantations). Soil disinfestation, crop rotation, and specific treatments are potential tools for controlling these phenomena, improving plant health, and resuming soil productivity.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment |
Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
Pages | 394-400 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Volume | 4 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780080547954 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780123485304 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 2004 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.