Response of Pepper Transplants to Fall Fumigation. S. M. McCarter, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens 30602. G. M. Campbell, Regional Research Manager, Campbell Institute for Agricultural Research, Cairo, GA 31728; and A. W. Johnson, Nematologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration, Agricultural Research, Southern Region, Tifton, GA 31794. Plant Dis. 64:566-568. Copyright 1980 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-64-566.

In Georgia, fumigation of field soil with 336, 262, 187, or 112 L/ha of DD-MENCS in December significantly increased the size and fresh weight of spring-seeded pepper transplants and decreased plant pathogens in the soil and the incidence of stem rot caused by Pythium aphanidermatum. All rates were about equally effective. More than 90% of all plants harvested from fumigated plots were 13 cm or larger, whereas 92% of plants from untreated plots were smaller than 13 cm. The mean weights of plants from fumigated plots were 2.4 times those of plants from untreated plots. Mean numbers of disease loci were 37.5 in check plots and 0.5, 2.0, 3.8, and 1.8 in plots treated with DD-MENCS at 336, 262, 187, and 112 L/ha. The effectiveness of DD-MENCS at low rates is attributed to the slow dissipation and long chemical-organism interaction at low temperatures during the December-February treatment. Fall fumigation appears to offer several advantages over spring fumigation for pepper transplant production.

Keyword(s): Capsicum annuum, control.