Biofumigation—an environment-friendly soil fumigation technology

According to the requirements of the "Montreal Protocol", methyl bromide (MB), which has an excellent effect on the soil-borne diseases, has been phased out completely from agriculture (except for critical use exemptions) in 2015. Thereafter, environmenta-friendly biofumigation technology has received widespread attention as the most promising non-chemical alternative to MB. Recent mechanism studies of biofumigation was summarized in this review, including the production of volatile active substances and the increase of the soil temperature. The inhibitory effects of biofumigation on soil-borne pests and diseases such as Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium oxysporum and nematodes were also reviewed. At the same time, the effects of biofumigation on soil physico-chemical properties, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and pH, crop growth indicators and yields were also summarized. In general, the choice of biofumigation materials and the environmental conditions while applying the fumigated materials were two main factors which affected the performance of biofumigation. Due to the limitations of biofumigant materials, the combination of biofumigation technology and other technologies, like chemical fumigation, would still be of great application potential and a hot research field.