Evaluation of non-fumigant alternatives to methyl bromide for weed control and crop yield in California strawberries (Fragaria ananassa L.)

► In this study, we evaluated several non-fumigant treatments as alternatives to the standard methyl bromide:chloropicrin fumigation for their effect on weed control and strawberry yield. We found that steam treatment consistently gave us good weed control and strawberry yield, comparable to methyl bromide:chloropicrin. With this finding we believe we have found a potential viable alternative to pre-plant methyl bromide fumigation that can be used for both organic and conventional strawberry production systems. In the paper we also describe other products that we evaluated but did not control weeds. We believe that these findings are of international significance where the phase out of methyl bromide has affected yields and economics for several crops. Our study covers practical aspects of weed control in lines with the aims and scope of Crop Protection.