Effectiveness of Soil Solarization in Furrow-Irrigated Egyptian Soils. M. F. Abdel-Rahim, Institute of Plant Pathology, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt. M. M. Satour, K. Y. Mickail, S. A. El-Eraki, A. Grinstein, Y. Chen, and J. Katan. Institute of Plant Pathology, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt; Institute for Agricultural Engineering, ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel; Department of Soil and Water Sciences, and Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot 76100, Israel. Plant Dis. 72:143-146. Accepted for publication 20 June 1987. Copyright 1988 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-72-0143.

Soil solarization of furrow-irrigated soils in Egypt effectively controlled weeds, broomrape, corky root, and root-knot diseases in tomatoes. It also controlled Rotylenchulus reniformis for 60 days after planting. It improved plant growth and increased the yields by 25–432% in broad beans, onions, tomatoes, and clover in various types of soils. In one experiment with broad beans, Rhizobium nodulation was adversely affected by solarization, and the plants were stunted but later recovered. Solarization had a long-term effect (two or three seasons) in both disease control and yield increase. It also decreased soil salinity.

Keyword(s): electrical conductivity, Meloidogyne, Orobanche, plastic mulching, Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, solar heating, tarping.