PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON APPLICATION OF AMMONIA AND ORGANIC AMENDMENTS FOR SOIL DISINFESTATION IN

soil solarization (SS), applied alone or combined with several soil amendments releasing ammonia (Gamliel and Stapleton, 1993 and 1995; Cebolla et al. 1999, Di Primo and Cartia, 1998) have been widely investigated among available alternatives to methyl bromide (MB). This paper shortly describes the results of two experimental trials carried out at Albenga (Liguria – Northern Italy). The trials were carried out under greenhouse conditions in soil artificially infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. basilici and Rhizoctonia solani. Chicken manure (Agrifumax Casalserugo-Pd-: N organic 2,5 %; C organic 25 %- pellet) and (NH4)2SO4 (soil fertiliser 21 % of N-granulated) was distributed with soil rototilling. The NH3 (available formulation 5 % of NH3) was applied by soil drenching with the same equipment employed for MS application. Soil was mulched with polyethylene (PE, 50 µm thick) or gas impermeable (VIF, 35 µm thick) films. During the 1st trial all different combinations among MS, chicken manure, (NH4)2SO4 and SS reduced the incidence of F. basilici on basil and R.solani on bean (table 2)