This study was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 in Upper Egypt at Draw-Benban Bahary, Aswan Governorate. The aim of this study was to find out safe and economic modified techniques for the control of soil borne pathogenic fungi causing damping off and wilt diseases affecting the export cantaloupe production by means of using the soil solarization during summer time (June- July –August), where the average of day temperature is extremely high. This direction is to avoid the use of the globally, un-recommendable, soil fumigant; the methyl bromide. The parameters of evaluation were concerned with the effect of soil solarization on plant growth, yield and quality beside the two parameters related to damping off and wilt percentage. Taking into consideration that these trails were done as comparative treatments in virgin, one year, two years, and three years previously planted soils concerning covered and non –covered treatment with transparent 80 microns plastic sheets.
The results could be summarized as follows:-
1- Soil solarization increased the soil maximum temperature at 20-10 cm depth up to 10-12 0C respectively compared with non solarized
2- Soil solarization reduced all soil borne pathogens to lower values, almost similar to virgin soil.
3- It was noticeable that after solarization there was complete control at all kinds of weeds.
4- The best cantaloupe emergence percentage was obtained from sandy virgin soil followed by the treatment of soil solarization of one season previously planted soil, taking into consideration that the multiple cantaloupe planting in the same soil leads to increase in wilt infection.
5- The highest values of vegetative growth, physical characteristics of fruits and total yield per plant or per feddan obtained with soil solarization and virgin soil.
6- The highest values of exportable yield was obtained by soil solarization and virgin soil, which was the main goal of this study, especially that area concerned with planting the cantaloupe for export.