EFFICACY OF CHLOROPICRIN AGAINST ROOT KNOT NEMATODES ON PROTECTED TOMATOES IN ITALY

Since 2002 chloropicrin (CP) (TripicrinTM, 94% w/w of active ingredient) has been registered in Italy and primarily used on tomato, strawberry, cucurbits, orchard and cut flowers in order to control soilborne disease and, with the combination of 1,3 dichloropropene (1,3 D), root knot nematodes. All the most popular soil fumigants, including CP and 1,3 D, are now under revision or have been recently revised according to the EU regulation 91/414. Due to the revision process 1,3 D availability has been reduced and limited to a define period of time according to so called “emergency uses”. With this scenario where several trials were carried out on protected tomatoes in Southern Italy and primarily aimed at evaluating the effects of chloropicrin at different rates within 200-400 kg/ha against root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Trials were carried out under protected crops and soil was fumigated adopting the drip fumigation technique. CP was tested alone or combined with reduced rates of 1,3 D. An untreated control and a standard fumigated control [chloropicrin (300 kg/ha) and 1,3 D (240 kg/ha)] served as reference to quantify the efficacy of tested soil disinfestation strategies. The results clarified that chloropicrin alone reduce the severity of root knot nematodes compared with the untreated control, but the mixture of chloropicrin and 1,3 D performed better.