2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Florida ranked first in fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in the United States with 32,000 acres harvested and a value of US$453 million in 2015. After the banning of methyl bromide in 2005, the testing of new chemistries to target nematodes became critical in vegetable production. Fluensulfone is a new non-fumigant, contact nematicide that targets root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) on low bush berries, cucurbit, leafy, and fruiting vegetables. Fluensulfone can be applied via drip irrigation, banded, or broadcast soil incorporated, requiring an application of 0.5 to 1.0 inch of water at least two days after application to avoid seedling exposure to phytotoxic levels (~1.0 ppm). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-plant soil incorporated fluensulfone on plant growth, fruit yield, and postharvest quality of fresh-market tomato in seepage irrigation during the fall of 2016 in Immokalee, FL. Fluensulfone treatments were broadcast applied on flat bed surface area at 0, 3.5, and 7.0 pints/acre arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Roots, stems, leaves, and fruits of two plants per plot were randomly collected and oven dried at 30, 60, and 90 days after transplant (DAT). Fruit yield was harvested from 10 plants three times at mature-green stage and graded according to USDA size category standards. Postharvest quality was assessed in terms of fruit firmness, exterior color, pH, and total soluble solids (TSS). Water table levels were maintained between 18 and 34 inches from bed top. Plots with fluensulfone treatments did not present any sign of phytotoxicity. Roots, stems, leaves, fruit, and total plant dry weight (DW) was not affected by fluensulfone treatments in any sampling dates; however, at 60 DAT, fruit DW in the non-treated control was on average 18% higher. At first harvest, fluensulfone at 3.5 pints/acre and the non-treated control accounted for the highest extra-large fruit size category and total marketable yield. At third harvest, fluensulfone at 7.0 pints/acre accounted for the highest large and medium size categories and total marketable yield. Fluensulfone treatments did not have an effect on any tomato fruit size categories or total marketable and unmarketable yield at second, first and second harvests combined, and total season yield. Fruit firmness, exterior color, TSS, and pH were not influenced by any fluensulfone treatment. The pre-plant incorporation of fluensulfone using seepage irrigation did not negatively influence fresh-market tomato production grown in sandy soils.