Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the most important diseases of the potato. Soil solarization has been studied as an option for soilborne disease control with potential for bacterial wilt control. The method should be used during the hot season and depends on weather conditions. It is important to evaluate this method in other seasons, associated with other control methods. Biofumigation is the soil disinfestation through organic residue amendment. During decomposition, these residues release toxic substances to soilborne pathogens. An experiment was carried out during the autumn (May to June), to evaluate the effect of amendment with chicken litter (biofumigation) and solarization on bacterial wilt incidence and yield of potato plants. The treatments were chicken litter amendment (20 t/ha), urea (100 kg/ha), methyl bromide application and no amendment (control), all treatments with or without solarization. Weekly evaluations of bacterial wilt incidence permitted to obtain the area under the disease progress curve for each treatment. In infested areas, only methil bromide application reduced bacterial wilt incidence, but methyl bromide application and chicken litter amendment combined with soil solarization allowed higher potato tuber production. The effect of soil solarization associated with biofumigation on potato yield in R. solanacearum-infested areas needs to be better investigated.
Solanum tuberosum; Ralstonia solanacearum; physical control; organic matter; soilborne phytopathogens; integrated management
