Soil solarization. Effects on some microbiological and productive parameters [Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.-Basilicata]

Soil solarization, using sun energy, is an agronomic pratice useful to reduce soil pathogen populations. Light plastic films have been contributing to improve soil solarization especially in open and in greenhouse vegetable crop cultivation. This kind of cover raises soil temperature up to 20 deg C in its first layers. Because of this effect and its lower costs, linked with ecological motivations, soil solarization is getting very common in vegetable crop field in Southern Italy. Soil solarization pratice, as before said, affects the soil microbial biomass content as direct heat influence. Very few studies have been carried out till now on this topic and on how the heat works in the soil reducing the microbial biomass content and affecting the bio-geo-chemistry cycle. In this paper, as a continual work, the soil solarization effects on some microbiological parameters and some enzyme activities, together with yield influences on fresh tomato berries, are reported