Preplant application of soil fumigants and solarization for treating replant diseases of peaches and apples

Abstract

Preplant soil fumigation with several chemicals increased the circumference and the yields of apple trees, following apples, and of peach trees on peach seedling rootstock following peaches on peach or almond rootstocks. With both apples and peaches a mixture of 70% methyl bromide (MB) and 30% chloropicrin (CP) or the two chemicals applied separately to the same plot was more effective than applying only one of them. With peaches on peach rootstock following peaches on the same rootstock, heating the soil by solar energy (solarization) with and without the fumigation with a small amount of MB was found to be much less effective than the double fumigation, first with CP and then with MB. Replanted peach trees were affected by the peach replant disease to the same degree if planted between, rather than on, the site of the uprooted trees.