Economic Evaluation of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation with Varying Carbon and Nitrogen Application Rates in Open-field Organic Strawberry Production

The phaseout of methyl bromide in agricultural production due to its adverse environmental impact has prompted specialty crop industry stakeholders to seek alternative soilborne disease management practices in the United States. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), recognized as a biological and environmentally friendly alternative, is considered a promising practice for managing soilborne pathogens, nematodes, and weeds. However, the economic feasibility of ASD in strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa ) production remains underinvestigated. This study evaluated the economic viability of ASD using various application rates of carbon and nitrogen fertilizer sources in open-field organic strawberry production. Using field experiment data from production seasons 2022–23 and 2023–24 in Citra, FL, USA, the economic analysis demonstrated that although ASD treatments incur higher costs, the additional returns from increased yields of some treatments can offset these costs. Using 1486.0 gal/acre of molasses as the carbon source and 4.2 tons/acre of Everlizer (a heat-processed chicken litter product) as the nitrogen source in season 2022–23 produced the highest yield compared with the control group that did not use ASD in production. The same treatment in season 2023–24 produced the fifth-highest yield. When averaging the yields from both seasons, the same treatment still generated the highest added profit compared with the control group. Sensitivity analysis identified yield as the primary determinant of profit. Meanwhile, the profitability of strawberry production in treatment groups was highly sensitive to fluctuations in both strawberry selling price and molasses price. The findings of this study provide crucial information for strawberry producers to determine the economic viability of using ASD in organic crop production systems.