Soil Solarization: Theory and Practice summarizes and updates the vast amount of information on soil solarization made available in the 20 years since the previous book on this topic was published. It provides the reader with an updated and comprehensive view of the solarization concept and its application, including the disinfestation of soils of plant pathogens and pests, innovations in the implementation of integrated pest management practices, and the importance of these technologies in view of changes in the kinds and uses of soil fumigants. It also summarizes new post-plant treatments for controlling plant pests and pathogens and the technology of soil disinfestation in various cropping systems.

Soil solarization is a nonchemical method of pest and pathogen control by soil disinfestation. It was the environmentally friendly, cost effective answer to the methyl bromide crisis and through this book everyone in agriculture can come to understand the benefits of the concept made possible through advances in plastic mulch technology.

First described in 1976, it is based on solar heating and has been studied or adopted in more than 70 countries, as reflected by the more than 1,400 research papers describing its effectiveness in controlling a large variety of pests and pathogens in numerous crops. The book explains and demonstrates how the method actually triggers and induces chemical, physical, and biological changes beyond the elevation of soil temperature. It includes 28 chapters (in 6 sections) written by 42 authors who are intensively involved in the research and development on relevant topics, covering recent achievements with this method, as well as its future prospects.

In 1991, a book entitled Soil Solarization was published and detailed the progress made during the first 15 years of research and development of soil solarization. The current question was whether the progress made in soil solarization since 1991 justified the writing of a new book. The content of the current book answers that question with a resounding YES. It places soil solarization as an integral component of pest management programs in both its theoretical and practical aspects. This book offers basic reference material, literature reviews, historical accounts, and even biographical segments, all packed with new information and research.

Each of the six sections of this book provides specific benefits to its readers. For example, sections on the fundamental basics and practical aspects of soil solarization support researchers and those practicing, and learning to practice, this technology. The book’s use of prediction modeling allows researchers and crop production experts to better predict and perform solarization under their own conditions. The description of basic approaches as well as application technologies for various soil disinfestation methods gives researchers tools for developing new disinfestations strategies. This book gives a global look at the practice, providing people in all parts of the world with information about how they can use solarization most effectively. It shows that today, soil solarization is being implemented in environments previously considered unavailable to its benefits. Many of the challenges of climate dependency have been overcome making the work of these scientists more adaptive and available to agriculturalists in new geographic regions.

Soil Solarization: Theory and Practice is well suited for a variety of crops and agricultural expertise levels. Extension experts, policy makers in agriculture, and growers, as well as professionals employed at universities, private research organizations, and plant protection services, and even individuals involved in agriculture or agrochemistry will all come to rely on this book. It can also be helpful for those teaching students an introductory course of plant pathology, crop protection, and pest and disease management.

Soil Solarization: Theory and Practice

Foreword
J. E. DeVay

Prologue
A. Gamliel and J. Katan

Section 1: Soil Disinfestation and Its Assessment

Introduction
J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Chapter 1: The Theory of Inoculum: The Relationship Between Disease Incidence and Inoculum Density and Dynamics of Soilborne Plant Pathogens

M. J. Jeger and A. J. Termorshuizen

Chapter 2: Approaches to Assess Microbial Activities in Soil

E. Cytryn and D. Minz

Chapter 3: Soil Disinfestation by Soil Heating

W. T. Runia

Chapter 4: Development and Assessment of Approaches to Physical and Chemical Soil Disinfestation

J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Section 2: Soil Solarization as a Pest Management Method

Introduction
J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Chapter 5: Soil Solarization for the Management of Soilborne Pests: The Challenges, Historical Perspective, and Principles

J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Chapter 6: Management of Bacterial and Fungal Plant Pathogens by Soil Solarization

R. J. McGovern and R. McSorley

Chapter 7: Management of Nematode Pathogens by Soil Solarization

R. McSorley and R. J. McGovern

Chapter 8: Soil Solarization as a Tool for Weed Management

B. Rubin

Chapter 9: Soil Solarization and the Methyl Bromide Phaseout

M. Besri, M. Pizano, and I. Porter

Section 3: Soil Solarization as Integrated Pest Management

Introduction
J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Chapter 10: The Integrated Management Concept in the Context of Soilborne Pathogens and Soil Disinfestation

J. Katan, D. Shtienberg, and A. Gamliel

Chapter 11: Combining Soil Solarization with Pesticides

A. Gamliel

Chapter 12: Combining Soil Solarization with Organic Amendments for the Control of Soilborne Pests

A. Gamliel and J. J. Stapleton

Chapter 13: Combining Soil Solarization with Beneficial Microbial Agents

Y. Kapulnik and A. Gamliel

Chapter 14: Integrating Soil Solarization into Crop Production Systems

D. O. Chellemi

Section 4: Mechanisms

Introduction
J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Chapter 15: Mechanisms of Pathogen and Disease Control and Plant-Growth Improvement Involved in Soil Solarization

J. Katan and A. Gamliel

Chapter 16: Physical Principles of Solar Heating of Soils

Y. Mahrer and E. Shilo

Chapter 17: Modeling Pathogen Response to Elevated Temperatures During Solarization

E. Shlevin, J. Katan, and A. Gamliel

Section 5: Technology and Application

Introduction
A. Gamliel and J. Katan

Chapter 18: Plastic Films for Soil Disinfestation: Chemistry and Technology

A. Gamliel

Chapter 19: Application of Soil Solarization in the Open Field

A. Gamliel

Chapter 20: Economics of Soil Disinfestation

J. D. Schaub

Section 6: Soil Solarization in Various Cropping Systems

Dedication to Dr. Clauzell Stevens
Introduction
A. Gamliel and J. Katan

Chapter 21: Soil Solarization Under Greenhouse Conditions

M. L. Gullino and A. Garibaldi

Chapter 22: Soil Solarization in a Subtropical and Humid Climate

C. Stevens, V. A. Khan, R. Rodríguez-Kábana, E. G. Rhoden, J. R. Bartlett, A. E. Fyffe, K. Willian, and J. E. Brown

Chapter 23: Soil Solarization: A Perspective from Cool Northern Regions

T. W. Walters and J. N. Pinkerton

Chapter 24: Solarization for Disinfesting Growth Substrates

J. J. Stapleton and J. Faddoul

Chapter 25: Soil Solarization in the Indian Arid Zone

S. Lodha and R. Mawar

Chapter 26: Soil Solarization in Greece

E. C. Tjamos, P. P. Antoniou, S. E. Tjamos, E. J. Paplomatas, and D. I. Tsitsigiannis

Chapter 27: Soil Solarization in Israel with Special Reference to Implementation and Technology Transfer

A. Gamliel and R. Ausher

Chapter 28: Special Uses and Improvements in Soil Solarization

A. Gamliel, E. Shlevin, and J. Katan
Epilogue
J. Katan and A. Gamliel