By Clint Thompson
Disease management in Georgia watermelons is currently a challenge considering how saturated fields are amid excessive rains this spring. The crop is susceptible to multiple diseases, and many farmers are unable to access the fields to apply much needed fungicides.
Ty Torrance, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable agent for Colquitt, Tift and Worth counties, discussed the situation facing growers right now following increased moisture late last week and earlier this week.
“We are pretty saturated right now. We have already found downy mildew in cucumber. There are multiple species of downy, so it’s not necessarily the downy that will go to watermelon, but that’s usually our first indication that it’s on the way,” Torrance said. “That’s something we’re watching for. Other diseases like phytophthora and fusarium, even pythium, have been high this spring.
“(Growers) have definitely already made preventative, protective measures, but the ground is going to be saturated for a while now. The last couple of weeks, it’s not raining every day, but the events that we have had seem to be intense; rain, wind events. We’ve had a little bit of hail damage, but nothing widespread; but just the wind damage, beating the plants up and whipping vines around.”
According to the UGA Weather Network, Tifton, Georgia, received 10.42 inches of rainfall from April 1 to May 13, compared to 4.39 in 2023 and 2.76 in 2022. Moultrie, Georgia, received 12.17 inches during that same timeframe, compared to 3.99 in 2023 and 2.79 in 2022.