South Georgia watermelon producers are behind in their plantings this spring. Excessive rains are the reason.
UGA Extension
Whitefly-transmitted viruses can devastate cucurbits
Whiteflies are responsible for transmitting multiple viruses, including cucurbit leaf crumple virus and cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus. According to University of Georgia crop loss estimates for fall 2017, these viruses caused between 30% and 50% crop loss in squash and cucumbers and nearly 80% crop loss in snap beans that year.
Carolina Strongback watermelon rootstock tolerant of Fusarium
A costly but effective option for watermelon producers hoping to overcome fusarium wilt disease is the use of Carolina Strongback rootstock.
Anthracnose and Downy mildew disease symptoms in watermelons
Growers should consult Extension personnel when deducing what problem they might have. A wrong diagnosis could have financial repercussions.
USDA project | Cucurbit Anthracnose management
Colletotrichum spp., which causes anthracnose is an emerging threat to watermelon and cucumber production in the east coast. UGA leads effort to tackle emerging threat to watermelons.
Whitefly populations are on the rise
University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologists describe squash plants that haven’t sprayed yet with 100 whiteflys per leaf.
Whitefly populations low across Southeast
Whiteflies can cause feeding injury issues in vegetables and transmit multiple viruses. These include cucurbit leaf crumple virus, cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus, cucurbit chlorotic yellow virus, squash vein yellowing virus and tomato yellow leaf curl virus. Vegetables like squash, zucchini, cucumber, and cantaloupe are highly susceptible to these viruses.
UGA research benefits watermelon growers
UGA Extension is tasked with studying challenges with pollination, disease tolerance, yields, maturity, size distribution, brix, the sweetness, rind pattern and firmness of different varieties of watermelon and making recommendations to Georgia growers.