Adjusting cultural practices to promote tomato mycorrhization and bio-protection against Fusarium diseases

Abstract

The production of industrial tomato is in need of new cultural practices that allow lower environmental impacts and more efficient use of resources. The main goal is to test the effect of cover crops and anticipating soil loosening and plan-beds preparation to promote early mycorrhization of tomato roots. It is intended to investigate the effect caused by these changes on soil enzyme activity, dry matter production and the incidence of nematode and Fusarium diseases. Test fields were set in two locations – Pancas and Salvaterra –, soil loosening and plant-beds preparation were performed after harvest. Cover crops were sown during winter and killed in spring. Sampling and analysis of the samples were performed throughout the year. The present results showed no influence of the treatments (oat cover crops, oat + rapeseed cover crops and test field control) in most of the analysis carried out, which was not entirely surprising because the intensive management of these fields over the past years. However, in Pancas, the oat + rapeseed treatment presented significantly lower nematode incidence. This proves the nematocidal potential of rapeseed, and suggests its use as an effective and economically attractive cover crop. Persisting with the implementation of this strategy is fundamental for more tangible results, not showed yet due to the soil degradation.