Use Optimization of Organic Wastes in Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation against Strawberry Charcoal Rot Root

Abstract

The imminent removal of agrochemicals in Europe is directly affecting the strawberry sector in Spain, specifically in the Huelva province. Huelva is currently the main producer in the country. The lack of efficient fumigants has led to the rise of soilborne diseases. Macrophomina phaseolina (the causal agent of charcoal rot in strawberries) is generating serious problems with strawberry farmers. This work proposes to optimize the process of anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) against M. phaseolina in strawberry crops as a more sustainable alternative than chemical fumigation. Two trials with different inoculum doses were conducted, amending the soil with rice bran and residual strawberry extrudate as the carbon source for the ASD to evaluate the propagule reduction. After the ASD, these soils were used to crop strawberries in a growth chamber under controlled conditions to assay the disease reduction. Strawberry extrudate and rice bran favored disease reduction over the control, equaling the efficacy of Metam Sodium or even improving it in some cases. Trichoderma spp. and microbial activity could influence the suppressive effect of the ASD. All amended ASD treatments reduced the M. phaseolina propagules and charcoal rot severity. Rice bran and residual strawberry extrudate are suitable amendments to be used in ASD against the pathogen. The resulting soil disinfestation against M. phaseolina with residual strawberry extrudate at 16.89 t/ha and 25 days was similar to the most effective treatment with rice bran (20 t/ha and 40 days) based on the disease foliar severity. Additionally, both treatments were equivalent in efficacy to the Metam Sodium treatment.