Soil Disinfestation: From Soil Treatment to Soil and Plant Health

This feature article tracks 100 years of soil disinfestation, from the goal of eradicating soilborne pathogens and pests to much milder approaches, aimed at establishing a healthier soil, by favoring or enhancing the beneficial soil microflora and introducing biological control agents. Restrictions on the use of many chemical fumigants is favoring the adoption of nonchemical strategies, from soilless cultivation to the use of physical or biological control measures, with more focus on maintaining soil microbial diversity, thus enhancing soil and plant health. Such approaches are described and discussed, with special focus on their integrated use.

Automated summary

This feature article traces the development of soil disinfestation over the past 100 years, from the goal of eradicating soilborne pathogens and pests to more mild approaches that focus on establishing a healthier soil through promoting beneficial soil microflora and introducing biological control agents. With restrictions on chemical fumigant use, nonchemical strategies such as soilless cultivation and physical or biological control measures are gaining favor, with an emphasis on maintaining soil microbial diversity and enhancing soil and plant health. This article describes and discusses these approaches, with a special focus on their integrated use.