Control of root-knot of tobacco with ethylene dibromide in north Queensland

Abstract

Treatment of a coarse sandy soil with a moisture content of 2.6% (dry weight) with ethylene dibromide (EDB) at 72 kg a.i. ha-1 gave good control of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica. Efficacy was not increased when soil moisture was increased to 4.9%, nor by sealing the surface with a roller and irrigation immediately after fumigation. Methods of placement of EDB and dosage rates were compared in three seasons. When applied through one tine at 18 kg a.i. ha-1, nematode control after harvest was slightly inferior to applications of 36 kg through two tines or 72 kg through four tines, but yields of cured leaf and plant girth were not reduced. When EDB was applied through two tines, nematode control improved as the rate of application was raised through the range 18, 24, 30 and 36 kg a.i. ha-1.