Influence of methyl bromide soil fumigation method on fungicidal efficacy and bromide residues

Highest inorganic bromine residues (30 ppm) were found when soil was fumigated with liquid methyl bromide (MB) introduced by conventional means into evaporating dishes. With preheated (vaporized) MB or injection of MB/chloropicrin (CP) mixtures, bromide concentrations were reduced by 50%. They were uniform throughout the soil (0 to 60 cm) except after MB/CP injection, when larger residues were found in the 30-60 cm layer. Leaching with 2000 m^p3/ha (20 cm) of water always reduced bromide content to 7.5 and 10 ppm at the 0-30 and 30-60 cm depth, respectively. Organic amendments to soils substantially increased bromide levels up to 118 ppm, most of which was found in the upper soil layers; two teachings with 2000 m^p3 /ha water were required to return the soils to their normal state.Sclerotium rolfsii andFusarium oxysporum f. sp.dianthi cultures buried in soil were eliminated from the upper 30 cm with MB applied either conventionally or preheated. At 50 cm, 500 kg/ha of the preheated gas was superior to 1000 kg/ha of the cold gas. All MB fumigations suppressed carnation flower yields compared with CP alone but were superior to no treatment. After leaching, MB-fumigated soils yielded the highest number of flowers.     

Methyl bromide and PCNB for sclerotium crown rot control in iris

Methyl bromide (MB) at rates of 500, 1000 and 1500 kg/ha, Terraclor 75 WP (PCNB) at 150 and 300 kg/ha, and combinations of the two, were studied for control ofSclerotium rolfsii prior to iris cultivation. Sclerotia buried 10 cm deep in soil were all killed by MB at 500 kg/ha; at greater depths higher doses were required. Bulbs harvested from PCNB- and PCNB + MB-treated plots were healthy; 75% of the bulbs in control plots were infected at harvest. When MB was used alone, the soil became re-infested (2–6% diseased plants). Bromide toxicity, correlated with the MB dose applied, appeared 41/2 months after planting; leaves yellowed and senesced prematurely. MB treatments also reduced bulb size, and residual phytotoxicity was found when the bulbs from treated plots were planted in the following year.