Weed control and yield response of soil solarization with different plastic films in lettuce

Weed Control in Clean Agriculture: A Review1

“…In this regard, Haidar & Sidahmed (2000) have found that solarization for 2, 4 and 6 weeks with chicken manure has increased the average weight of cabbage plants by 55, 70 and 75%, respectively compared to the control with chicken manure. Candidoa et al (2011) have found that the average lettuce marketable yield was always found significantly higher in solarized soil than in untreated control in both greenhouse and in the field. Schreiner et al (2001) have reported that soil solarization is a promising method to reduce the populations of soilborne pests and weeds without using pesticides.…”

“…Soil solarization, mulching, hot water, Fresnel lens, biological control, natural herbicides and some cultural treatments have been successfully tried and were found to be effective and safe methods to control weeds (Riley et al, 2004;Khanh et al, 2005;Sahile et al, 2005;Benoit et al, 2006;Ramakrishna et al, 2006;Abouziena et al, 2008;Candidoa et al, 2011;Farooq et al, 2011;Abouziena et al, 2015).…”

Herbicide Reduction Methods

“…Soil solarisation achieves dis-infestation of soil due to the heat resulting from trapped soil radiation by covering the moist soil with a plastic film during several weeks, which has the consequence of killing soil-borne pathogens and to avoid weed seed germination by thermal inactivation (Candido et al, 2011;Cimen et al, 2010). This technique, alone or combined with other techniques, has been found to effectively control weeds like green bristlegrass (Setaria viridis), common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), redroot amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus), bindweed (Convolvulus spp), black night-shade (Solanum nigrum), canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense), and even weed species unsusceptible to selective herbicides (Candido et al, 2011).…”

“…This technique, alone or combined with other techniques, has been found to effectively control weeds like green bristlegrass (Setaria viridis), common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), redroot amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus), bindweed (Convolvulus spp), black night-shade (Solanum nigrum), canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense), and even weed species unsusceptible to selective herbicides (Candido et al, 2011). The same author found that the total weed density and biomass were still significantly lower in solarised soil than in the untreated plots also after the harvest of the second crop under greenhouse and field conditions, therefore being a reliable possibility to replace the few chemicals available to manage weeds in conventional lettuce production.…”

Eradication of Orobanche/Phelipanche spp. seedbank by soil solarization and organic supplementation

“…In the Mediterranean Basin, soil solarization has proven to be a valid alternative to conventional means of SBPs control for a number of crops (Katan and DeVay, 1991). This technique, by modifying the thermal regime of the top soil layer, makes the substrate hot enough to devitalize weeds seeds and nematodes, along with plant-pathogenic fungi and bacteria (Candido et al, 2011;Ozores-Hampton et al, 2012;Vitale et al, 2011Vitale et al, , 2012. Beyond the thermal effect, soil solarization causes physical, chemical and microbiological modifications within the soil, so avoiding the creation of a biological vacuum, stimulating root growth, increasing crop yield and improving the product quality in a number of vegetable crops (Stapleton and DeVay, 1984;Chellemi and Rosskopf, 2004;Camprubi et al, 2007).…”