By Clint Thompson
Powdery mildew disease has been confirmed in watermelon in the Suwannee Valley region of North Florida.
Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, noted in a weekly email that as a result of having low disease incidence, growers should “keep things simple.”
“Perhaps a simple program this week will be Mancozeb (Manzate, Penncozeb or other trade name) plus something as a preventative for powdery mildew (Quintec, Rhyme (preferred as a spray), or Procure), plus something as a preventative for rindworms,” Hochmuth wrote.
Producers and scouts who will be scouting for powdery mildew disease should look for symptoms that begin as circular yellow areas on the leaves. Growth of the fungus appears as the infection progresses and can be observed on the underside of the leaves. “White powder” can be viewed on both surfaces of the leaves and stems as the tissue decays.
Hochmuth also emphasized that when weather conditions are dry like they are now, the “lush, green watermelon fields may be quite attractive to adult moths which lay eggs of the rindworm complex.”
“It is advisable to start rindworm sprays if not already started,” Hochmuth said. “It could be only about three weeks to our earliest harvests in the region, we need to be on alert overall now.”