News Diseases
OMAFRA: Be on the lookout for downy mildew in cucurbits

Cucurbit downy mildew has been identified in New Jersey as of June 11, so growers along the Great Lakes should begin actively scouting for the disease. Katie Goldenhar, plant pathologist – horticulture, with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), recommends that growers who suspect downy mildew is in their fields send for confirmation and contact her or Elaine Roddy, OMAFRA vegetable crops specialist.

Downy mildew symptoms first appear as water-soaked lesions on the topside of leaves, which are best seen during a heavy dew. The centre of the lesion then turns yellow (chlorotic) and eventually tan or brown (necrotic). In cantaloupe, lesions are irregularly shaped. As the disease progresses, lesions expand and multiply, causing foliage to become necrotic, leading to plant death. |READ MORE