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Preplant Biofumigation with Sorghum or Methyl Bromide Compared for Managing Criconemoides xenoplax in a Young Peach Orchard

Sorghum as a preplant green manure biofumigant management system of Criconemoides xenoplax was investigated from 1998 to 2003. The study was conducted on a site infested with C. xenoplax and having a previous history of peach tree short life (PTSL). Plots consisted of five preplant treatments: (i) nonfumigated soil without tarp and urea, (ii) nonfumigated soil with tarp and urea, (iii) sorghum as a green manure without tarp and urea, (iv) sorghum as a green manure with tarp and urea, and (v) preplant methyl bromide fumigation. Sorghum as a green manure with and without tarp was comparable with methyl bromide fumigation in suppressing the population of C. xenoplax in the early stages of this experiment. Nematode population densities were suppressed 11 months longer in sorghum with tarp and urea plots than in sorghum without tarp and urea plots. However, nematode population densities in sorghum with tarp and urea plots were not suppressed as long as in fumigated methyl bromide plots (19 versus 24 months, respectively).