Biosolarization is an alternative technology to
soil fumigation
Fumigation is a method of pest control or the removal of harmful micro-organisms by completely filling an area with gaseous pesticides—or fumigants—to suffocate or poison the pests within. It is used to control pests in buildings (s ...
used in agriculture. It is closely related to
biofumigation
Biofumigation is a method of pest control in agriculture, a variant of fumigation where the gaseous active substance—fumigant—is produced by decomposition of plant material freshly chopped and buried in the soil for this purpose.
Plants from t ...
and
soil solarization
Soil solarization is a non-chemical environmentally friendly method for controlling pests using solar power to increase the soil temperature to levels at which many soil-borne plant pathogens will be killed or greatly weakened. Soil solarization ...
, or the use of
solar power to control
nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...
s,
bacteria, fungi and other pests that damage crops. In solarization, the soil is mulched and covered with a tarp to trap solar radiation and heat the soil to a temperature that kills pests. Biosolarization adds the use of organic amendments or
compost
Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant, food waste, recycling organic materials and manure. The resulting m ...
to the soil before it is covered with plastic, which speeds up the solarization process by decreasing the soil treatment time through increased microbial activity. Research conducted in Spain on the use of biosolarization in strawberry
fruit production
The horticulture industry embraces the production, processing and shipping of and the market for fruits and vegetables. As such it is a sector of agribusiness and industrialized agriculture. Industrialized horticulture sometimes also includes the ...
has shown it to be a sustainable and cost effective option. The practice of biosolarization is being used among small agricultural operations in California. Biosolarization is a growing practice in response to the need for methods for organic soil solarization. The option for more widespread use of biosolarization is being studied by researchers at th