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UC Santa Cruz researchers are testing field-scale soil steam disinfestation to suppress strawberry pests and pathogens without applying chemical fumigants. Early findings are promising, but neither the university research nor a Santa Cruz County pilot has yet shown that steam can replace fumigants reliably or economically across commercial farms.
How does soil steaming work?
A specialized machine injects high-temperature steam into the soil before planting. The UC Santa Cruz project aims to heat the treated soil profile to 158–176°F (70–80°C) for 20–30 minutes. That is the project’s reported field-treatment target, not a home or garden instruction.
The researchers describe the approach as selective soil pasteurization: heat is intended to suppress heat-sensitive organisms, including the soilborne pathogens Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, as well as weed seeds, without eliminating all soil life. The work adapts steam applicator technology previously used in leafy-green production and builds on four decades of UC Santa Cruz organic strawberry research. UC Santa Cruz reported the treatment target on September 18, 2026.
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What has the research shown so far?
UC Santa Cruz reports preliminary suppression of key soilborne pathogens and recovery of beneficial soil microbiomes after steaming. Those early observations are encouraging, but they do not establish consistent results across commercial farms, soil types, pests, or growing conditions.
The broader Center for Agroecology project plans to test steam across different soils, pathogens, and weeds; compare soil microbiomes after steam, fumigation, and untreated control treatments; use rapid molecular diagnostics; and assess effects on following vegetable crops. Researchers are also working on machinery efficiency, treatment economics, and how long any benefits last. The project page was modified March 5, 2026.
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What is happening in the Pajaro Valley pilot?
The county pilot is related to, but distinct from, the UC Santa Cruz research project. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced $175,000 in funding for a Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner-led pilot. Berry growers in the Pajaro Valley were expected to begin testing steam in place of conventional pre-plant soil fumigation in summer 2026, with research continuing into 2027. Fields are being selected near schools or other sensitive sites. DPR described the funding and timetable on August 6, 2026.
High Degree Machinery, which supplies steam equipment, says the county demonstration covers 25 acres across five fields near schools and other sensitive sites. That acreage is the company’s account of the demonstration, not a figure independently confirmed in the county information cited by DPR.
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As of October 4, 2026, final county results are not available. The pilot is an evaluation of field use, not evidence that fumigants have already been displaced in the region.
Could steam be safer near schools?
Steam avoids applying the chemical fumigants that motivate this work, which is why researchers and regulators are evaluating it near schools and other sensitive locations. But the available project information does not establish the overall safety of the treatment or quantify its effects on nearby communities. The county pilot is intended to evaluate the alternative in field conditions; it should not be read as proof that steam is risk-free or that it has already reduced fumigant exposure.
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California’s Sustainable Pest Management roadmap sets a 2050 transition target away from high-risk chemicals. The steam work is one part of the search for practical alternatives, alongside community concerns about fumigant drift and worker exposure.
Can steam replace fumigants at commercial scale now?
No—not on the evidence available. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s 2026 summary of the California Council on Science and Technology’s 2025 assessment says no current alternative can directly replace chemical fumigants on a wide scale. CCST identifies steam as effective, but says it does not yet have the speed, availability, and ease of use needed for widespread adoption. Cost and effectiveness also remain central questions.
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Whether an approach is useful depends on the crop and pest it targets, how reliably it works and for how long, local soil and climate, labor and equipment needs, effects on yield and soil biology, and readiness to operate at commercial scale. No single option is a universal drop-in substitute.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What other approaches are being considered?
CCST’s 2025 assessment lists multiple approaches already used to some degree. Their inclusion does not mean each works for every crop, pest, farm, or region.
| Approach | What the assessment establishes |
|---|---|
| Resistant varieties and rootstocks | Listed among approaches used to some degree; performance and suitability depend on the crop and pest. (CCST, 2025) |
| Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) and biosolarization | Listed among approaches used to some degree; no universal replacement claim is made. (CCST, 2025) |
| Solarization | Listed among approaches used to some degree; no universal replacement claim is made. (CCST, 2025) |
| Cover crops and rotations | Listed among approaches used to some degree; effectiveness depends on the crop and pest combination. (CCST, 2025) |
| Biological controls and sanitation | Listed among approaches used to some degree; not established as a universal direct substitute. (CCST, 2025) |
| Steam and soilless production | Listed among approaches used to some degree; CCST says no single existing alternative can directly replace fumigants widely. (CCST, 2025, as summarized by DPR, 2026) |
What would show whether the technology is ready?
The most useful evidence will be results across different farms and seasons, not just whether steam suppresses a target pathogen in an initial treatment. Growers and communities need to know whether it works for the relevant strawberry pests and weeds, how durable the effect is, and whether it can be delivered quickly and consistently at a viable cost.
- Field performance: How reliably does treatment suppress target pathogens and weeds across soils and conditions?
- Duration and rotation: How long do the effects last, and what happens to subsequent vegetable crops?
- Soil effects: Do beneficial microbiomes recover, and how do soil biology and crop outcomes compare with fumigation and untreated fields?
- Operational fit: Can equipment treat fields at the speed and scale commercial growers need, with workable labor and economics?
- Community outcomes: Does field use meaningfully reduce fumigant applications and exposure concerns near sensitive sites?
Until those questions have stronger answers, hot steam is best understood as a promising technology under evaluation—not a proven, economical, wide-scale replacement for farm fumigants.
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