One of the most serious diseases in vegetable production in Georgia is Phytophthora blight, caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici. It is a water mold that attacks the roots, foliage, and fruit, causing root rot, crown rot, leaf lesions, fruit rot, and plant wilt. The disease affects peppers, squash, watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, and other vegetable crops.
Plant Pathologists at the University of Georgia developed a rapid and sensitive method for detection of Phytophthora Capsici in irrigation water sources.
Example of watermelon fruit rot caused by Phytophthora capsici (Photo credit: Dr. Pingsheng Ji)
