Replacing methyl bromide with a combination of 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium for cucumber production in China

Abstract

The combination of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and metam sodium (MNa) is a potential resource to replace methyl bromide (MB) as a soil fumigant. The efficacy of 1,3-D+MNa as a crucial factor to limit soil-borne pests was evaluated in one laboratory experiment and two cucumber greenhouse studies conducted in commercial operations. Laboratory results revealed that 1,3-D and MNa (10+20 mg a.i. kg−1 soil) provided the best complementary control of the root-knot nematode, Fusarium oxysporum and two species of weed seeds. Greenhouse trials revealed that the blend of 1,3-D and MNa (10+20 g a.i. m−2) greatly inhibited the ability of Meloidogyne incognita to form root galls. In addition, the number of colony-forming units of F. oxysporum declined substantially after growth on media, resulting in higher fruit yields and greater economic benefits. The combined use of 1,3-D and MNa exhibited a higher control efficacy than when 1,3-D or MNa was utilized alone. The ability of this chemical combination to control soil-borne organisms did not differ significantly from the MB treatment and maintained high cucumber yields, enhancing the income of the farmers. Compared to the untreated control group, all the chemical treatments prominently improved the control of the pests. These results show that applying a combination of 1,3-D and MNa provides a promising alternative to MB that enables the sustained growth of cucumber production in China.

RETRACTED: Effect of Plant Extracts and Metam Sodium on the Soilborne Fungal Pathogens, Meloidogyne spp., and Soil Microbial Community

“…These results are supported by the fact that the highest pepper yields and root weights were also found in the MS and LR + MS treatments. This could indicate that metam sodium is more effective as a fungicide and nematicide [1,3] than plant extracts (LQ and LR), which did not show either nematicidal [43] or fungicidal activity. These results are opposite to those observed in vitro by Osorio et al [16] and Vogt et al [17], who showed antifungal activity of Larrea spp.…”

“…Metam sodium (sodium N-methyldithiocarbamate) is an organosulfur soil fumigant considered to be moderately hazardous (toxicity class II) by the World Health Organization that is applied nowadays [2,3]. Several studies have reported the efficiency of MS against root-knot nematodes and fungal pathogens, such as Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia solani, when used either alone or in combination with other pesticides [1,3]. Nevertheless, MS can affect the soil community structure due to its inhibitory effect on Gram-negative bacteria and fungi [4].…”

Evaluation of Multiple Impacts of Furfural Acetone on Nematodes In Vitro and Control Efficiency against Root-Knot Nematodes in Pots and Fields

“…Nematicides, such as avermectin [29], methyl bromide [30], and metam sodium [31], exhibit nematicidal or fumigant activity against RKNs, and most of them are toxic to animals and unfriendly to the environment [32][33][34]. Many RKNs have developed resistance to these nematicides that are continuously applied in the agricultural field for a long period worldwide [35].…”

Can Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) be a Game Changer in Tropical Agriculture?

“…Since the mid-20th century, synthetic chemicals have been used to control many plant diseases including a broad spectrum soil fumigant, methyl bromide (MeBr) [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Since then, MeBr has been heavily applied worldwide primarily to control soil-borne pathogens as well as the nematodes [ 20 ]. For example, five million kg of MeBr were used only in California in the year 2000 [ 21 ].…”