Soil solarization for the control of Meloidogyne javanica on eggplant in Southern Italy.

Soil solarization gives positive results for the control of soil pathogens and parasites since several years. Moreover, the increasing diffusion of this technique needs to keep attention to the environmental problems related to the recover and the disposal of plastic films. As the use of biodegradable films could be a possible solution to this problem, a greenhouse solarization trial was undertaken in a soil infested by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica on eggplant in Southern Italy to evaluate the solarizing behaviour of two corn starch-based plastic films compared to an EVA film. Solarization treatments reduced soil nematode population, number of infested plants and number of galls on eggplant roots. Crop yield was increased by soil solarization compared to uncovered soil. No statistical differences were found among the different solarizing films. Thermal behaviour of EVA resulted more efficient than lactescent biodegradable film.