Since 1981, Walid Abu Gharbieh and colleagues from the University of Jordan have been researching soil solarization as a preplant treatment to control soilborne pathogens of greenhouse and open field vegetables in the Jordan Valley. Gradually over the years, hundreds of farmers adopted solarization after seeing the successful trials. And like other farmers, Jordanian farmers have been relying on chemical pesticides for years. The pesticides are easy to apply, are financially acceptable, and ensure them against crop losses, the growers feel. But, just as the market is driven by price, so are farmers.
Farmers are concerned with costs.
If a new technology promises to be cheaper and as good as what they're using, farmers are prepared to overcome their fears and try it. During 1997, he says, the price for methyl bromide almost doubled because of supply shortages when it was time to prepare the land for planting. Many farmers then turned to the cheaper solarization even though they had only heard about the technology and didn't really understand it. Also, Hasse continues, research results showed other beneficial effects of soil solarization. Plants appeared stronger and sometimes gave higher yields in these soils.