Growers of flowers, fruit and vegetables face severe crop damage due to soil-borne nematode worms. The usual methods of control using methyl bromide or metam sodium (MS) are being severely restriced or banned. The Dutch VDL Groep has developed a costly (around €300.000) but highly effective self propelled machine that digs and sterilizes the soil down to a depth of 15-20cm (the rotary spade has a 35cm diameter). Developed by Israeli inventor Eli Paltin, the machine spades the soil and sterlizes soil particles with a blast of super-heated air from its diesel burner. The heavy machine, named ‘Cultivit’, is mounted on rubber tracks to limit soil compaction and is designed for both field use and protected cultivation. It is remote controlled and a GPS model is under development. Tests at PPO-AGV, Wageningen University, Netherlands, have shown that squash crops grown on soil treated by the Cultivit machine produced yields 55% above those grown on soil treated with metam sodium. The large-scale reduction of a given population of nematode worms allows plants to grow much larger root systems. This is particularly important in arid and semi-arid production areas. The Cultivit sterilization process also kills seeds and vegetative propagules of weeds thereby delaying their development. This leaves more water available to the crop and reduces the need for herbicides. Where soils are heavily infested with nematodes or where crops are particularly susceptible, crop yields have been greatly increased using the Cultivit machine. The high price of the machine suggests joint purchase by a consortium of growers members of which could be working variously in floriculture, horticulture and nursery-stock production. For more information contact: VDL Cultivit BV. Fax 0031 765718597, E-mail: info@vdlcultivit.com www.vdlcultivit.com
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