Effect of soil solarization and organic amendments on Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc sclerotia

Soil-borne pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc attacks several crops in Morocco. Studies were initiated to assess the potential of soil solarization, alone or combined with two organic amendments, namely compost and sheep manure, on the viability of S. rolfsii sclerotia. In the 4 and 6 weeks microplots experiment the highest soil temperature recorded was 59.3 degrees C in the solarized plots. Treatments from solarized plots with compost was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced germination and viability of sclerotia than other treatments, with a germination reduction rate of sclerotia (GRRS) of 100%, 93.4% and 53.6% at 5, 10 and 20 cm soil depth respectively. The field trial lasted 2 months and the germination rate of sclerotia (GRS) of plots solarized with compost, with sheep manure and those non-solarized/non-amended was 10.25%, 15.38% and 80.19% respectively. The results suggest that soil solarization combined with organic amendments proves to be effective in the control of S. rolfsii.