Infected acorn squash fruit with sporulation of Phytophthora capsici. Photo by Salta Mambetova, MSU Extension.
All crops are being harvested, watermelons are still building in volume, and mechanical pickle harvests are stacking up.
Downy mildew that affects melons and cucumbers has been confirmed in the main pickle production regions of Michigan. Keep up to date on the development of this destructive cucurbit disease at the Hausbeck Downy Mildew News website.
Phytophthora capsici causes significant losses in squash and cucumber following heavy rains. The most obvious symptoms are entire plant wilts, and regions of white spores on the surface of fruits that look similar to powdered sugar. If Phytophthora symptoms develop, crop destruction is important as it takes away the “food” that the pathogen needs to reproduce.
