MANAGEMENT OF ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES BY COMBINATION OF SOIL SOLARIZATION AND FENAMIPHOS IN SOUTHERN ITALY

In a three year experiment carried out during 1995-1997 in southern Italy, four or eight weeks of soil solarization failed to increase lettuce yields in fields infested with Meloidogyne incognita at Castellaneta (Taranto) and Monteroni (Lecce). At Castellaneta, concomitant application of fenamiphos and four weeks of solarization and fenamiphos after four weeks of solarization increased lettuce yield as did fenamiphos applied at the end of eight weeks of solarization or as single application, just before planting. All combinations of fenamiphos and solarization increased yield of the following crop, cantaloupe, which was also increased by application of 1,3 D in April. All treatments significantly suppressed the root gall index on both crops. At Monteroni, data on both crops, lettuce and tobacco, were erratic and did not provide clear information on yields nor on root gall indices. However, correlations between soil solarization or application of fenamiphos, alone or in combination, and yields or root gall indices clearly showed that soil solarization might be a good practice for the management of root-knot nematodes.