Evaluation of standard and enhanced solarization methods for soilborne pathogen management in strawberry fields: impacts on microbial communities
The intensive cultivation of strawberry is threatened by soilborne pathogens like Neopestalotiopsis spp., necessitating sustainable management alternatives to chemical fumigants. This study evaluated the efficacy of two innovative 30-day solarization methods, one using a multilayer thermal film (Polysolar) and another combining this film with a biochar-based soil coating (Solin®), against traditional solarization and an untreated control in a Northern Italian climate. We assessed thermal performance, pathogen viability, disease development, crop performance, and soil microbial community dynamics via Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) metabarcoding. Our findings show that the innovative Polysolar and Solin methods achieved markedly higher soil temperatures and greater accumulation of lethal-temperature hours than Standard solarization. This superior thermal efficacy translated into a more effective inactivation of Neopestalotiopsis spp. inoculum and led to greater plant biomass and the highest fruit yields. Furthermore, these treatments induced a profound restructuring of the soil microbiome, characterized by the suppression of potentially pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, and an enrichment of beneficial bacteria (Firmicutes) and the potential biocontrol agents Trichoderma spp. We conclude that innovative solarization methods are rapid and effective tools for soil disinfestation, representing valuable and viable solutions for sustainable strawberry production, particularly in regions with climatic constraints.