Comparison of Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems for Applying Metam Sodium and Managing Stem Rot on Potato

Effect of Center-Pivot Irrigation in the Rust and Brown Eye Spot of Coffee

Incidence of rust (caused by Hemileia vastatrix) and brown eye spot (caused by Cercospora coffeicola) of coffee was evaluated for 2 years in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, in a center-pivot-irrigated coffee crop with different water application levels. Treatments consisted of six water levels of 0 (nonirrigated), 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140% applied according to class A evaporation pan (CAE). Progress of disease was influenced significantly by different water levels; the highest incidence of rust occurred with lower water levels-0 (nonirrigated), 60, and 80% CAE-whereas the lowest incidence was detected with larger water levels: 120 and 140% CAE. There was one peak of rust incidence in August. The highest incidence of brown eye spot occurred with water levels of 100 and 140% CAE and the lowest incidence was found in the nonirrigated treatment. Two incidence peaks occurred in March and June. This study identified that irrigation methods and water levels can decisively affect the epidemiological behavior of diseases and, therefore, their management.

Comparison of surface emissions and subsurface distribution of cis- and trans-1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin in sandy field beds covered with four different plastic films

The purpose of this study was to conduct a field study at a Florida field site on surface emissions and subsurface distribution of cis-and trans-1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) in raised beds injected with Telone C35 with four replications. A total of 16 beds were applied with Telone C35 by chisel injection and covered with four different plastic films, 4 beds for each film. Each bed was installed with five 20-cm long soil pore air probes and a surface air collection pan at arbitrarily locations along the length of each bed for sampling soil pore air and surface air, respectively, for analysis of the three biologically active compounds, cis- and trans-1,3-D and CP. We found that average concentrations of the three compounds at 20-cm depth among the beds covered with four different plastic films generally were not statistically different. Among the four beds covered with the same plastic film, average concentrations of the three compounds were statistically different only in the four metallic PE covered beds at 5 and 24 hours after injection. Volatilization rates of the three compounds among the beds covered with four different plastic films, with the exception of CP at 48 hours after injection, were not statistically different. It appeared that initial upward diffusion and volatilization flux were influenced by solar radiation. Initial subsurface concentrations of the three compounds and volatilization flux, especially cis-1,3-D, were greater in the beds on the east side of the field than that in the beds on the west side of the field. Whether or not difference in initial subsurface concentrations of the compounds between east side beds and west side beds may influence fumigant efficacy remains to be determined.

Generation and Dissipation of Methyl Isothiocyanate in Soils Following Metam Sodium Fumigation: Impact on Verticillium Control and Potato Yield

The fate of methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) was studied in agricultural soils following metam sodium (MS) application in a controlled system and under field conditions as it was related to disease control. Soil samples were collected from 34 field sites in Israel with no history of MS application. The generation and dissipation curves of MITC in these soils, under controlled conditions, varied significantly among the soils, as reflected by the concentration by time (C × T) product. This value was significantly related with the mortality level of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici as a test organism and sand content of the soils. Seven field experiments were conducted in potato fields from 2001 to 2004. The MS treatments significantly reduced Verticillium wilt incidence and severity in five and four experiments, respectively, out of seven. Combining MS with formalin was more effective for controlling disease than MS alone in most cases. A significant relationship was found between mortality of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici in soil samples to which MS was applied under controlled conditions and the incidence of Verticillium wilt disease in the field, and between C_MITC × T products and the incidence of Verticillium wilt disease in the field. These tests can be used for preplant assessment of potential MS efficacy.