Soil solarization in various agricultural production systems

Soil solarization is a natural, hydrothermal process of disinfesting soil of plant pests that is accomplished through passive solar heating. Solarization occurs through a combination of physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms, and is compatible with many other disinfestation methods to provide integrated pest management. Commercially, it is used on a relatively small scale worldwide as a substitute for synthetic chemical toxicants, but its use is increasing as methyl bromide, the major chemical fumigant, is phased out due to its ozone-depleting properties. Solarization currently is an important and widespread practice for home gardeners. In production agriculture, the principal use of solarization (on a treated area basis), is probably in conjunction with greenhouse grown crops. Another application for which solarization has come into common use is for disinfestation of seedbeds, containerized planting media, and cold-frames. Around the world, solarization for disinfesting soil in open fields is being implemented at a relatively slow but increasing rate. It has been mainly used for commercial production in areas where air temperatures are very high during the summer and much of the cropland is rotated out of production due to excessive heat. As global concerns regarding environmental quality grow along with the human population in the 21st century, concepts such as solarization and other uses of solar energy in agriculture will likely become increasingly important.