COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON SOME COMPONENTS OF INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT ON SOIL BORNE PLANT PATHOGENS AFFECTING CUCUMBER, GROWN UNDER PROTECTED AGRICULTURE

Experiments were conducted at El-Bosaily site, Behera governorate during 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 seasons to investigate the possible utilization of solar heating and/or other natural methods to control soil borne plant pathogens including fungi and nematodes in protected cultivation of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) variety Nile. Soil treatments with emulsifier solar oil or intercropping with Damsis (Ambrosia martimala L.) or with Marigold (Tagetes sp.) in combination with solarization were evaluated. Moreover, efficiency of bioferilization with Bacillus polymyxa on the previous treatment was estimated. Fungal population was, generally decreased and the highest reduction recorded was 82.3 % and 77.0 % for the solarized plots with biofertilizer inoculation and without inoculation, respectively. Inter-cropping was more effective with Marigold than with Damsis as fungal reduction reached 72.6 % and 67.3 %, respectively. Whereas, the reduction in Meloidogyne spp. was the highest in emulsified solar oil treatment followed with solarization, while intercropping with Marigold or with Damsis plants gave the lowest reduction in that plant parasitic nematode. It could be concluded that solarization in combination with other treatments tested might be beneficial for controlling soilborne pathogens. On the other hand, the cucumber yields significantly increased when adding Bacillus polymyxa in all treatments, except intercropping with Damsis plants and control treatments. The highest cucumber yield was recorded in emulsified solar oil treatment (2559 and 2334 kg/greenhouse in 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 seasons, respectively), then inter-cropping with marigold plants (2400 and 2351 kg/greenhouse in 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 seasons, respectively) compared with other treatments and control.