Category Archives: Pumpkin Diseases

Credits:Biovision-Infonet Anthracnose Colletotrichum lagenarium Gummy stem blight and black rot Didymella bryoniae Mycosphaerella citrullina Phoma cucurbitacearum Fusarium wilt Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum Choanephora fruit rot Choanephora cucurbitarum Powdery mildew Downy mildew Scab Cladosporium cucumerinum Viral diseases Cucumber mosaic virus

Credits:Biovision-Infonet It is mechanically transmitted. It is transmitted through seeds of melons and squash. It is also transmitted by spotted, striped and banded cucumber beetles, which attack cucumbers in the Americas. The Epilachna beetle (Epilachna chrysomelina) a pest of cucumber in Africa, is also vector of squash mosaic virus. Its host range includes cucurbits, peas, coriander, […]

Credits:Biovision-Infonet This virus is mechanically transmitted and also spread by several species of aphids. It is not seed transmitted. Its host range is primarily restricted to cucurbits although one of its strains infects peas.

Credits:Biovision-Infonet It is not seed transmitted except through seed of perennial wild cucumber (Echinocytis lobata) and chickweed (Stellaria media). It is mechanically transmitted and in nature it is spread by various species of aphids. It has a very extensive host range including such varied species as bananas, carrots, cowpeas, lupine, lilies, onions, passion fruit, potatoes […]

Credits:Biovision-Infonet Many important virus diseases affect cucurbits. These include: Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) Watermelon mosaic 2 potyvirus (WMV-2) Watermelon mosaic 1 potyvirus Zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus (ZYMV) Squash leaf curl bigeminivirus (SLCV) What to do: Use tolerant / or resistant varieties if available. Remove infected plants (disinfect hands and tools with 70% alcohol after contact with infected […]

Cladosporium cucumerinum Credits:Biovision-Infonet It attacks all aboveground plant parts. Initial symptoms on leaves appear as light water-soaked or pale green spots. The spots are numerous and can appear on and between veins. Elongate spots may develop on petioles and stems. The spots later turn grey to white and become angular. The fine veinlets in the […]

Credits:Biovision-Infonet Symptoms on leaves appear as small, pale-yellow areas on upper leaf surface. Under humid conditions, a purplish, grey whitish growth may be seen on the underside of the yellowish spots. Affected leaves curl, shrivel and die. Most downy mildew fungi require cool weather for reproduction and development. This is not true of the cucurbit […]

Credits:Biovision-Infonet Symptoms first develop as a whitish talcum-like powdery growth on upper leaf surface. The powdery growth is composed of fungal spore mass. These areas covered by white powdery growth may enlarge and join up to cover both lower and upper leaf surfaces. Severely affected leaves dry, turn brown and become brittle. Vines can be […]

Choanephora cucurbitarum Credits:Biovision-Infonet C. cucurbitarum mostly attacks tissues that have been damaged by insects or mechanical means. Host tissues have a hairy appearance resulting from the tall fungal filaments that produce a cluster of brown spores (conidia) at their tips. What to do: Destroy crop residues after harvest. Control cucumber beetles, which are responsible for fungal […]

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum Credits:Biovision-Infonet It causes root rot and corky decay of the stem near ground level, leading to wilting and death. Inside wilted stems the vascular tissue may be discoloured. White to pinkish fungus mycelium may grow over affected tissue. Leaves of affected plants turn yellow and eventually wilt and die. It also […]