EFFECT OF POST-PLANT SOIL SOLARIZATION ON SURVIVAL OF TEN PLANT SPECIES AND CONTROL OF SOILBORNE PATHOGENS.

of post-plant soil solarization in pistachio groves. Positive results gained from their experiments prompted other esearchers to test the method on various tree and perennial crops in California, Mexico (3) Greece (4) and elsewhere. Transparent polyethylene (PE) was used in warm temperate zones, while black PE was employed in soil mulching in hot climates (1). This field experiment was conducted at the University of Jordan Agricultural Experiment Station in the Central Jordan Valley during the period 1994-1996. The objective of the study was to assess effect of post-plant solarization on growth of ten fruit tree plant species, and soilborne pathogens. Plant species included: apple, peach, grape, olive, guava, papaya, banana and lemon, orange and mandarin grafted on sour orange. Thirty six young plants of each plant species were planted in a separate plot. Each plot was arranged in a randomized complete block design. The treatments comprised nonmulched control, mulched for three months (July-September) or mulched for six months (April-September) with four seedlings in each replication. Each treatment was replicated three times. Citrus seedlings were inoculated with 10,000 J2/plant of Tylenchulus semipenetrans. Mulching with black PE (80µ thick and 1.6m wide) was performed down the rows by inserting seedling foliage through ca 10cm openings made in the center of PE strips, and edges anchored tightly i