Soil Sterilisation Methods- Alternatives?

Cardinal Richelieu

Methyl Bromide is no longer legal for quite sometime now so what are the alternatives to use for soil sterilisation? Has anyone got experience of the alternatives?

Markcheese

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Methyl Bromide is no longer legal for quite sometime now so what are the alternatives to use for soil sterilisation? Has anyone got experience of the alternatives?

There's a system in France that uses steam... What's wrong with yr soil that U need to sterilise it. My old boss used to use perkla or something like that , cyano feris oxide I think. Reckoned it got rid of club root... But don't know if I agree... Nasty stuff...

Cardinal Richelieu

Markcheese wrote: »

There's a system in France that uses steam... What's wrong with yr soil that U need to sterilise it. My old boss used to use perkla or something like that , cyano feris oxide I think. Reckoned it got rid of club root... But don't know if I agree... Nasty stuff...

Well if your growing crops year on year in glasshouse soils you quickly find you need some form of sterilisation to reduce soil borne diseases and weed control otherwise you spend most of your time weeding. I would rather avoid chemical treatment apart from the cost, they are just too limited. Steam system was used here before but it was dreadful to use, heavy sheets and in the glasshouse you ended up more glass breakages than anything else. I did see a rotavator steamer system on TV years ago that they trialed in the USA on orange groves. Anyone know more about this?

fodda

Is this what you mean?

http://www.lbsbuyersguide.co.uk/hd5116-soil-steriliser-capacity-210-litres.html

Markcheese

Always found plenty of organic matter and rotating as much as possible works, the more different crops a year the better..

Cardinal Richelieu

fodda wrote: »

Is this what you mean?

http://www.lbsbuyersguide.co.uk/hd5116-soil-steriliser-capacity-210-litres.html

No, think of something needed for acre size.

Markcheese wrote: »

Always found plenty of organic matter and rotating as much as possible works, the more different crops a year the better..

If you don't have the rotation option what do you use? If your supply clients with the same crops year on year you can't exactly turn around every year and say sorry I won't have any of those crops this year.
Weeds also can crop up in organic matter such as FYM how do you deal with them?

Soil sterilisation methods such as steam provides the following benefits:
Wiki

Benefits of soil steaming

Soil sterilization provides secure and quick relief of soils from substances and organisms harmful to plants such as:
Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Nematodes and
Other Pests
Further positive effects are:
Reduces weeds and weed seeds
Significant increase of crop yields
Relief from soil fatigue through activation of chemical – biological reactions [3]
Blocked nutritive substances in the soil are tapped and made available for plants
Alternative to Methyl Bromide and other critical chemicals in agriculture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_steam_sterilization

fodda

Lots of Organic producers use polytunnels and supply commercial interests on a regular basis.

Markcheese

Properly composted manure ect won't have weed seeds ect in it ... But I take your point about demand for crops ... What are you growing and when ? Could you grow a catch crop as green manure in your main crops down time..... Plenty of lime may help ( a bit late if club root or something already in)
Depending on how much ground you have could you move the tunnel when you change plastic...( if it's a tunnel )
God knows where you'd get a steam steriliser or how much it'd cost to hire or run

Cardinal Richelieu

fodda wrote: »

Lots of Organic producers use polytunnels and supply commercial interests on a regular basis.

Organic isn't exactly going to feed the world outside D4.

Cardinal Richelieu

Markcheese wrote: »

Properly composted manure ect won't have weed seeds ect in it ... But I take your point about demand for crops ... What are you growing and when ? Could you grow a catch crop as green manure in your main crops down time..... Plenty of lime may help ( a bit late if club root or something already in)
Depending on how much ground you have could you move the tunnel when you change plastic...( if it's a tunnel )
God knows where you'd get a steam steriliser or how much it'd cost to hire or run

No its a glasshouse environment, I was just raising the question had anyone experience of the alternatives. For conventional farming Soil sterilization is an essential if you wish to reduce your chemical and labour inputs and produce a healthy crop with good yield. Not everyone can afford Organic prices and some crops need investment in specialist growing and harvest equipment so switching between a range of crops isn't economically viable.

Markcheese

Wasn't knocking your business or system , have worked for both conventional and organic commercial veg growers ,admittedly both conventional guys subsequently went bust,which clouds my vision a bit ....