Biofumigation Performance of Four Brassica Crops in a Green Chile Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Rotation System in Southern New Mexico

Abstract

<jats:p>Biofumigation is a sustainable method of soil management in cash crop rotations that can increase soil organic matter (SOM), moderate soil pH, suppress weeds and soilborne pathogens through glucosinolates (GSL), and increase water infiltration. This 2-year (2011–13) field study evaluated four different <jats:italic>Brassica</jats:italic> crops for their biofumigant potential in a chile pepper rotation system in southern New Mexico. The four cultivars included: three mustards (<jats:italic>Brassica juncea</jats:italic> ‘Caliente 61’, ‘Caliente 199’, and ‘Pacific Gold’) and one broccoli (<jats:italic>Brassica oleracea</jats:italic> var. <jats:italic>botrytis</jats:italic> ‘Arcadia’). As a result of concerns that these mustards could be hosts for nematodes, a greenhouse study was conducted in the second year to evaluate the biofumigant crops for their southern root-knot nematode (<jats:italic>Meloidogyne incognita</jats:italic>, RKN) host suitability and their seedling establishment in the presence of RKN. In Year 1 (2011), conditions were ideal, which resulted in high mustard biomass production and, consequently, significantly higher SOM and lower pH than the bare soil control plots. However, there were no chile pepper yield differences among treatments. Conditions were much less favorable in Year 2 and the resultant poor biomass production did not cause an increase in SOM as seen in Year 1. In the RKN greenhouse study, broccoli was the least susceptible biofumigant crop. After one nematode generation (683 cumulative heat units), RKN populations were less than half of the original inoculum level on the broccoli. However, RKN populations increased in the presence of ‘Caliente 61’, ‘Caliente 199’, and ‘Pacific Gold’. Overall, broccoli produced lower biomass and lower GSL concentrations than the mustard treatments but may be a valuable crop for growers with nematode issues because RKN populations decreased in its presence. Based on high biomass production and high GSL concentration, ‘Caliente 199’ showed the most potential as a biofumigant crop for southern New Mexico.</jats:p>

Impact of Brassica juncea biofumigation on viability of propagules of pernicious weed species

“…Substantial reduction in propagule viability required a high dose of fine‐chopped B. juncea biomass (between 70 and 200 t ha −1 or between 12.6 and 36 t dry biomass ha −1 ) and plastic sheeting to seal the soil. This amount largely surpasses the biomass accumulation expected under NW European field growing conditions (5.4 t ha −1 dry biomass in our study, 12.6 t ha −1 dry biomass, according to Rudolph et al ., ). Hence, extra biomass amendments will be needed.…”

Nematode quantitative resistance conferred by the pepper genetic background presents additive effects and is stable against different isolates of Meloidogyne incognita

“…Meloidogyne spp., known as root-knot nematodes (RKNs), are considered the most damaging plant parasitic nematodes that affect crops worldwide (Castillo, 2010;Onkendi et al, 2014;Rudolph et al, 2015), constituting a major disease problem in solanaceous crops (Netcher & Sikora, 1990;Khan & Haider, 1991), including pepper (Di Vito et al, 1985;Robertson et al, 2006). Limitations imposed in recent years on the use of soil fumigants (Collange et al, 2011;Colla et al, 2012) have led to growth of interest in genetic resistance to control Meloidogyne because it provides an economically and environmentally sustainable protection alternative (Djian-Caporalino et al, 2011;Colla et al, 2012).…”

Sustainable Use of Bioactive Compounds from Solanum Tuberosum and Brassicaceae Wastes and by-Products for Crop Protection—A Review

“…In Table 2 , the experimental evidence mainly reported in the last 10 years of literature about the molecular system of Brassicaceae involving GHPs released by the GSL/myrosinase system, including a clearly or tentatively defined GSL concentration in experimental trials and the plant pathogens involved in the studies, is summarized. Table 2 [ 160 , 161 , 162 , 163 , 164 , 165 , 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 , 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 ] shows the growing and keen interest for biofumigation applications, particularly as regards plant protection against nematodes, fungi, pseudofungi, and some arthropoda. Nevertheless, soil organic matter addition through plant-based products should be carefully evaluated.…”