Melons, Pumpkins, Cantaloupes

Evaluation of fungicides for management of foliar diseases on watermelon, 2016.

Evaluation of Proline and Topsin fungicides for management of Fusarium wilt on watermelon, 2015

Evaluation of fungicides for management of foliar diseases on watermelon, 2015

Field evaluation of muskmelon cultivars for susceptibility to anthracnose, powdery mildew and downy mildew when grown in organic no-till and plastic-mulch production systems in Maryland, 2015

Evaluation of fungicides and Melcast forecasting program for watermelon disease management, 2014

Evaluation of fungicides for management of foliar diseases on watermelon, 2014

Field evaluation of triploid cultivars for resistance to Fusarium wilt of watermelon in Maryland, 2014

I do not have to tell you that these frequent and heavy rains we have been having over the last 2-3 weeks have really increased the amount of foliar and at times soil diseases in our vegetable crops. In cucurbits foliar diseases such as Alternaria, gummy stem blight and an odd one Cercospora (figs 1a, 1b) all have been found causing moderate to severe defoliation in some fields that are heavy with fruit.

Gummy stem blight (GSB) was found in an Eastern shore muskmelon field in the last few weeks. It is a cucurbit disease caused by the fungal pathogen Didymella bryoniae. This fungus is favored by cool to warm, rainy weather. It can infect a host at any stage of growth and affects almost all parts of the plant including leaves, stems and fruits.

Using Silicon, Stimplex and Plant Resistance in Pumpkin Production Systems to Reduce Plant Disease Loss