Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/61297
Soils & Nutrients Soil fumigation Soil fumigation is recommended if nematode densi- ties exceed damaging levels, if the site has a history of other soil-borne diseases, or if highly susceptible cultivars are to be planted, Halbrendt said. He recommends using Telone C-17. Because fumigation is expensive and increasingly fraught with regulations, an alternative approach is "nat- ural" fumigation, sometimes referred to as "biofumiga- tion." This method involves planting a crop or, even better, two crops, one immediately after the other, of the brassica species Dwarf Essex rape. The rape contains pre- cursor chemicals that release those that actually suppress nematodes, and these are released only when the plant is macerated. "The crop needs to be thoroughly chopped using a flail mower and the residue incorporated into the soil to work effectively," Halbrendt said. • Leah Bosma wins iPad promotion came from Outlook, Washington— Although entries came in from around the world, the winner of the Good Fruit Grower less than an hour's drive from our headquarters in Yakima. Congratulations, Leah! www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER APRIL 15, 2012 21 Affordable Frost Alarms