Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM), is an economically significant disease of cucurbitaceous crops in the Eastern United States (US). Cucumbers are particularly susceptible and as a result, disease management of this pathogen relies heavily on fungicide use.
CucCAP Disease Management Team
The Disease Management Team contributions to the CucCAP project include English and Spanish factsheets about cucurbit crop and disease management strategies including images of disease symptoms for crop producers, articles about cucurbit plant pathology, and articles about the team’s research efforts and accomplishments.
Cucurbit Disease updates | June 2022
On June 1, the CucCAP team observed Cucurbit Downy Mildew on cucumbers in North Carolina and Fusarium wilt on watermelon in South Carolina.
Cucurbit Downy Mildew Management
CucCAP plant pathologist, Anthony Keinath published a factsheet on cucurbit downy mildew management with sections on symptoms and signs, how cucurbit downy mildew spreads, cultural practices to limit cucurbit downy mildew, and spraying for cucurbit downy mildew.
Cucurbit Disease Factsheets | Cornell Vegetables
These factsheets from Cornell CALS can be found on the Cornell Vegetable Program and the Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center websites.
PDMR 16 – Plant Disease Management Reports for Cucurbits
PDMR, Volume 16, 2022
Results of 2021 field trials, Published in 2022.
Plant Disease Management reports for cucumbers and squash.
Early Career Scientist Spotlight | Kim Heagy
Kim Heagy is a graduate student working on a Masters degree in the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University. Kim is a member of the Schultheis Vegetable Production lab which is part of the CucCAP Integrated Disease Management Team.
2022 Crop Profile for Cucumber in North Carolina
CucCAP Crop and Disease Management specialists Lina Quesada-Ocampo and Jonathan Schultheis collaborated with other Cooperative Extension specialists in NC to release a new full crop profile for the NC cucumber. The profile details worker activities; production practices, counties, and facts; pests including insects, pathogens, weeds, nematodes, and mites. Each pest is outlined by name (common and scientific), importance, symptoms, chemical controls, products/brands, biological controls, physical controls, and cultural controls.
Powdery Mildew on Watermelon | Land Grant Press
Powdery mildew (caused by the fungus named Podosphaera xanthii was consistently among the most prevalent diseases of watermelon. The first symptoms of powdery mildew on watermelon are yellow spots on the leaves.
