02 Mar Soil Solarization – a novel technique of weed management
मृदा सोलराईजेसन - खरपतवार प्रबंधन के एक अच्छी तकनीक The impact of pesticide use on the environment is now well documented, and a more wide spread adoption of integrated weed management strategies and tactics is recommended in sustainable agriculture systems. Soil solarization is a novel technique of controlling soil borne pests including weeds. This hydrothermal process occurs in moist soil which is covered by a transparent plastic film for 4-6 weeks and exposed to sunlight during the warm summer months. The practice was first reported from Germany in 1888 and was first used commercially by USA in 1897. Soil propagules, as weed seeds, offer a wide range of tolerance to high temperatures, conditioning the long term success of weed control by solarization. It seems probably that not only harmful organisms, but also beneficial organisms are killed by using soil fumigants for soil disinfestations. Principles of solarization Solar heating involves the use of heat as lethal agent for tarps for capturing solar energy by means of transparent polythene soil mulches. The thin polythene mulch allows the maximum transmission of solar radiation through moist soil and reduces moisture loss from soil through evaporation. Increase in soil temperature was achieved through improved heat conduction within the soil owing to its higher moisture levels. The principle behind...