Metham sodium is a broad-spectrum fumigant used to control a variety of soil-borne pests and diseases including nematodes, soil inhabiting insects, germinating seeds of weeds and soil-borne fungi. In vegetable production, metham sodium is mainly used for carrot production and intensive crops including broccoli, lettuce and soil-grown greenhouse crops such as capsicums.
However, metham sodium is not suitable for integrated crop protection approaches because of its indiscriminate action on soil-borne organisms. This fact sheet outlines alternative options to metham sodium for vegetable growers, including biofumigant crops, soil amendments, biopesticides and other non-chemical options.
Updated: April 2025
