ISHS Acta Horticulturae 245: Engineering and Economic Aspects of Energy Saving in Protected Cultivation
SOIL DISINFECTION IN LEBANON WITH SOLAR ENERGY-SOLARIZATION |
| Authors: | S. Sarraf, J. Farah |
| Abstract:
Solarization is a relatively new method for soil disinfection whereby disinfection takes place by pasteurization effect when relatively elevated soil temperatures are attained and maintained for one to two months when the soil is covered with a plastic mulch and left for a certain period of time. Due to the high cost of disinfecting the soils chemically or physically and the problem of residues and leaving the soil bare of antagonistic microorganisms, the solar energy could be used as an alternative source for disinfecttion especially in such countries which receive a high amount of solar radiation and have hot summers hindering crop production under greenhouses during this period. This method was tried in Lebanon in a greenhouse during 3 consecutive summers where soil temperatures and effects on soil pathogens were recorded. It was found that solarization is selectively effective on the different soil pathogens and its effectiveness is limited in time but compared to the sterilization methods it has many advantages and holds many interests. | |
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