Soil Solarization for Control of Rhizoctonia solani and Meloidogyne incognita Complex and Weeds in Tomato*

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of soil solarization for the control of Rhizoctonia solani and Meloidogyne incognita complex in tomato. Solarization by covering the soil with clear transparent polythene sheet for 6 weeks during hot summer months showed an increase in soil temperature 7.3°C and conservation of soil moisture (5.2%) when compared to unsolarized control. Increased soil temperature coupled with soil moisture resulted in a significant reduction in population densities of M. incognita (91.99%), R. solani (81.97%) weeds (97.96%) and their dry weight (85.71%). The availability of soil nutrients were slightly increased by soil solarization, while the physical and chemical characteristics of soil remain unchanged.