Dl4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 9,1984
NEWARK, Del. - With the high
seed and other production costs
involved in producing commercial
cantaloupes and watermelons,
good disease and insect control are
vital.
According to University of
Delaware extension vegetable
specialist Ed Kee, several insects
could be a problem in these crops.
The striped cucumber beetle
causes feeding damage on young
plants and also serves as a vector
for bacterial wilt. This disease is
more common on cantaloupes,
though it occasionally occurs on
watermelons, too.
“If you only see an occasional
beetle, there’s no need to push the
panic button,” Kee says. “But if
they’re easy to find, it may be time
to spray.” He recommends using
either Pydrm, Sevin, Lannate or
Thiodan to control this pest.
Though the disease threat isn’t as
great on watermelons, feeding
damage can be heavy enough on
young seedlings to warrant control
measures for this crop, too. If
plants are blooming, take steps to
safeguard bees when treating.
Aphids and mites can cause
severe problems in melon crops.
Aphids usually are active early in
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Pests can attack melon patch
the season. They stay on the un
derside of leaves and their feeding
can severly stunt young plants.
Check plants and spray with Cygon
if needed.
Mites become active when the
temperature reaches 75 degrees F
or higher, the specialist says.
Populations really explode during
hot, dry weather. These insects
also feed on leaves, sapping energy
from plants. A hand lens is needed
to see the mites themselves, but
it’s easy to spot signs of their
presence - yellow or bronzed
leaves.
While several chemicals are
labeled for mite control, Kee says
these materials have varying
degrees of success. “Check with
your county extension office, your
neighbors, or chemical suppliers
for information on what’s working
best in your area,” he advises. In
controlling mites, it helps to spray
small hot spots before populations
explode throughout a field.
Melon diseases present a dif
ferent type of control challenge
because their cause - fungi or
bacteria - can’t be seen or
monitored like insects. Often, by
the time damage is evident, it’s too
late for good control. Un-
derstanding what diseases affect
which crops, and when, will help
achieve cost-effective control.
Kee says it’s a good idea to
follow a preventive spray program
to protect cantaloupes and
watermelons from foliar diseases
like anthracnose, alternia leaf
blight and scab. Start spraying
cantaloupes when vines begin to
run and maintain a 7- to 10-day
schedule over the growing season.
Bravo 500 does an excellent job.
Difolitan and mancozeb are also
effective.
When disease pressure is severe,
as is often the case during hot and
humid weather, the specialist
advises growers to go to higher
rates and shorten treatment
schedules to every five days.
“Don’t stop spraying just because
melons have begun to ripen,” he
warns. “Disease pressure then can
be intense and can quickly
defoliate plants, thus shortening
your harvest.”
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Powdery mildew is a serious
problem on cantaloupes, though
it’s rarely seen on watermelons.
Bravo 500 will provide early
suppression, but with hotter
weather later in the season, Kee
recommends adding Bayleton to
the foliar fungicide spray mix at a
rate of 1 to 2 ounces per acre. By
itself, Bayleton won’t control other
foliar diseases, however. Also,
while it has been very succesful
against powdery mildew, Kee
doesn’t advise delaying treatment
once the disease appears.
The Bravo 500 program outlined
above will also control downy
mildew. This disease only reaches
the problem stage every three or
four years, but don’t discount it,
the specialist says. “If it does
occur, you can expect to see it in
late July, August or September.
Ridomil MZ-58 will prevent
establishment of downy mildew
and eradicate any downy mildew
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that’s present. Since this fungicide
won’t give the broad spectrum
control of the other fungicides
mentioned, don’t use it unless you
have a confirmed case of downy
mildew in a field.”
Kee advises growers to check
melons regularly for these pest
problems and follow a sound
preventive fungicide program. A
little planning now could save
some disappointment in August.
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