

Grow powdery mildew resistant crops if possible. Remove or till under any crop refuse as soon after harvest as possible. If any sign of the disease appears to be present on seedlings, discard them and any sown nearby that may have been infected.
#Gummy stem blight free
Treatment for Watermelons with Gummy Stem BlightĪs mentioned, gummy stem blight develops from contaminated seed or infected transplants, so vigilance regarding infection is necessary and use of disease free seed. If the infection is spread to the fruit as black rot, the infection may be evident in the garden or develop later on during storage. Gummy stem blight does not directly affect the melons, but can indirectly affect the size and quality of the fruit. Seedlings should be inspected regularly for the presence of the disease, and any infected plant should be removed immediately. Older stems at the crown near a leaf petiole or tendril split and ooze. Germination rates and seed vigour remain very high, greater than 90 germination (Shi et al. Irregular brown to black blotches appear between leaf veins, gradually expanding and resulting in the death of the affected foliage. As the disease progresses, gummy stem blight symptoms increase. The first symptoms of gummy stem blight of watermelons appear as round black, wrinkled lesions on young leaves and dark sunken areas on the stems. Symptoms of Watermelons with Gummy Stem Blight Wounds on the plant either caused by mechanical equipment or insect feeding along with powdery mildew infection predispose the plant to infection. (24 C.), relative humidity over 85% and leaf wetness from 1-10 hours. Periods of high temperature, moisture and humidity foster the disease – 75 F. It can be present in or on infested seed, or overwinter for a year and a half on infected crop residue. Watermelon gummy stem blight is caused by the fungus Didymella bryoniae. Gummy stem blight lesions on watermelon leaves tend to be chocolate brown.

A watermelon transplant with a water-soaked stem (hypocotyl) is a symptom of gummy stem blight.

Note the chlorosis surrounding the lesion. Keep reading to find out what causes gummy stem blight and symptoms of the disease. Gummy stem blight lesions on muskmelon leaves are a lighter brown than those found on watermelon. Gummy stem blight of watermelons and other cucurbits refers to the foliar and stem infecting phase of the disease and black rot refers to the fruit rotting phase. It has been found in these crops since the early 1900s. Watermelon gummy stem blight is a serious disease that afflicts all major cucurbits.
