How Soil Fumigation Works

Soil Is Injected

Volatizes Into Gas

Reduces Harmful Pathogens

Fumigant Decomposes

Crop Planting

Healthy Plants

A basic overview of how fumigation conditions the soil for planting and optimum plant health.

Fumigants are injected as liquids into the soil to control harmful insects, nematodes, weeds, bacteria, fungi, and diseases that have invaded a field.
The fumigant volatizes into gas diffusing through the soil air space, radiating out from the points of injection.
The treatment significantly reduces the harmful pathogens and rebalances the native beneficial soil microbe population, conditioning it for planting.
The fumigant decomposes rapidly in the soil; and some fumigants, like Chloropicrin, actually biodegrade into plant nutrients.
Crop planting takes place in the newly conditioned soil.
Healthy plants are able to maximize their water and nutrient use and grow to full yield potential with no uptake of fumigant into the plant root or residue on the plant.

Basic Application Methods

Tarped Shank Broadcast Application Method

This method injects the fumigant into the ground. Commonly done with narrow, knife-type shanks with tubes attached to deliver the fumigant and is immediately covered after application with film or plastic to trap the fumigant for efficacy and safety.

Drip Irrigation Application Method

Drip method utilizes the drip irrigation system to deliver the fumigant with irrigation water providing distribution in the soil.

Non-tarped Shank Application Method

This method is similar to Tarped with the fumigant injected into the ground with narrow, knife-type shanks. Instead of plastic tarping, the soil is sealed after application with the proper equipment to compact the top of the soil, trapping the fumigant for efficacy and safety.