Reuven, M., Departments of Plant Pathology, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50-250, Israel
Szmulewich, Y., Departments of Plant Pathology, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50-250, Israel
Kolesnik, I., Departments of Plant Pathology, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50-250, Israel
Gamliel, A., Departments of Nematology, Laboratory for Pest Management, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50-250, Israel
Zilberg, V., Departments of Nematology, Laboratory for Pest Management, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50-250, Israel
Mor, M., Research, ARO, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50-250, Israel
Cahlon, Y., Agrichem Ltd., P.O. Box 10156, Petach-Tikva 49-003, Israel
Ben-Yephet, Y., Agrichem Ltd., P.O. Box 10156, Petach-Tikva 49-003, Israel

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi (F.o. dianthi), a fungus which causes wilt, and Meloidogyne javanica (M. javanica), the root knot nematode which inhibits growth, are two of the most destructive pathogens of carnation. Both pests are effectively controlled by methyl bromide (MB). We tested five soil disinfestation treatments for the control of these pathogens over two seasons in a naturally and uniformly infested field. The treatments were: soil steaming, metham-sodium (MES), dazomet, methyl bromide (MB), and untreated control. Each treatment was tested with and without the nematicide 1,3,dichloropropene (Condor, Telone). Two carnation cultivars, 'Lior' (susceptible to both Fusarium and nematodes) and 'Galit', (moderately resistant to Fusarium and very susceptible to nematodes), were planted after fumigation. Condor alone reduced the Fusarium population in the soil by 25%, and reduced wilt incidence similarly. Steam, MES and MB, with or without Condor, each reduced the Fusarium propagule population to below the detection threshold down to 60 cm depth, and consequently, reduced wilt incidence in carnation plants to very low levels. Dazomet was the least effective treatment in reducing populations of Fusarium or of wilt incidence. Either steam or MES alone moderately reduced the growth inhibition or gall formation caused by nematodes, and their effects were similar to that of Condor. No growth inhibition was observed in plots treated with MB, with or without Condor, and gall formation was the lowest in these plots. The results indicate that steam or MES treatments can replace MB for controlling Fusarium wilt but not for control of nematodes. MES or steam combined with Condor reduced growth inhibition similarly to MB, but MES was less effective in reducing gall formation than MB or steam treatments.