Abstract
A soil fumigation field trial with 'Dasher II' cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was conducted on Krome gravely loam in the spring of 1999. Methyl bromide plus chloropicrin (MC33) or metam sodium (MS) were applied to 10 acres each and subplots, four beds wide and 100 ft long, of control and fumigant, were randomized with four replications within each 10-acre unit. The fumigant MC33 was injected through three chisels spaced 9 to 10 in apart at 250 Ib/acre and beds were covered with 1.5-mil polyethylene film and single bi-wall drip tube was laid at that time. The MS was injected at the irrigation pump at 6 gal/min for 40 min duration at 60 gal/treated acre, allowing 45 min to clear the MS from lines. The MS beds were covered with polyethylene film and drip tube, as in MC33 plots, was in place 12 h prior to fumigant injection. Fourteen d after treatment, cucumber was direct seeded at a spacing of 12 in within the row. Metam sodium applied through single drip irrigation tubing and MC33 increased yields over the nontreated control. Weed biomass from MS and MC33 treatments was significantly reduced at the end of season. The rootknot nematode root galling that occurred early in the development of the control cucumber plants adversely affected yields compared with MS and MC33 treatments.
