The Southwest Florida Pest and disease hotline reports from growers and scouts in Florida on whitefly numbers for adults and nymphs in cucurbits and other vegetable crops. In Southwest Florida, low levels of virus are present in melons.
Cucurbit Crop & Disease Management Resources
Plant Disease clinics in the USA, Cucurbit disease forecasters, Field & Variety Trials, Cucurbit Variety Trials, Pest Management, Cucurbit Production manuals & handbooks, Disease diagnosis, Disease outbreaks, Extension news, and Cucurbit Grower news.
Melon Team | 2021 Progress Report
Jim McCreight leads the Melon team. Their objectives are to Map and develop markers for disease resistance in Melon and introgress, pyramid/stack resistances into advanced breeding lines.
Genomics and Bioinformatics Team | 2021 Progress Report
Fall Watermelon Production Not Recommended in North Florida
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences scientists do not recommend that Florida watermelon growers grow watermelons in the fall. This assessment is attributed to the multiple variables growers must overcome including weather, high disease pressure and whitefly infestations.
Cucurbit Downy Mildew epidemic updates October 2021 | ipmPIPE
Epidemic updates include DM on pumpkin, summer squash, watermelon, and butternut squash in MA, Ms, PA, OH, NC, CT, and NY.
Whitefly infestations vary across Florida
The October newsletter from the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline reports that whitefly infestations are widely present across central Florida. They are low to moderate in cucumber and squash. Populations are very low in watermelon.
Pythium in cucurbits: Temperature decides species | VSCNews
CucCAP Vegetable pathologist, Anthony Keinath reported on Pythium at last winter’s Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention. Research at Clemson University has identified some of the pythium species that most commonly cause root and stem rot in cucurbits. This information can help researchers screen cultivars for resistance and may help growers tailor control programs.
Two New Viruses a Concern for Florida Watermelon Industry | VSCNews
Two new watermelon viruses discovered recently in Texas are now a concern of Florida producers. The crinkled leaf-associated virus 1 and 2 have been found in Collier, Desoto, Glades, Osceola, Charlotte and Seminole counties. They just add to a long list of disease and virus challenges that farmers must overcome in the Southeast.
