CUCURBITS

Name of the diesease	Symptoms	Control Measures
ANTHRACNOSE	The spots on the leaves are irregular, angular to circular water soaked, yellowish brown and finally become brown in colour. The leaf spots dehydrate, shrink, dry out at the centre and make irregular shot holes. The spots on the fruits are circular, water soaked-depressed and dark brown.	1. Seed treatment with Bavistin (0.1%) or Benlate (0.1%) 2. Spray Difolatan (0.2%) or Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or Topsin (0.1%) or Captan (0.2%) at 8 days interval.
POWDERYMILDEW	White to dirty grey powdery growth on leaves, petioles and stem. Infected leaves turn yellow and shrivel.	Spray Sulfex (0.2%) at 10 days interval.
DOWNY MILDEW	Angular yellow spots on the upper leaf surface. The corresponding undersides of these spots are covered with greyish, moldy growth. Infected leaves wither and die.	Spray Blue Copper/ Blitox (0.4%) or Dithane M-45 (0.2%) at 8 days interval.
FUSARIUM WILT	Plant shows wilting which progresses slowly showing only in the midday. Young seedlings when attacked are damped off.	1. Bavistin (0.1%) or JK Stein (0.1%) or Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or Captan (0.2%) or Blitox/ blue Copper (0.5%) can afford partail control. 2.Use resistant varieties.
BLIGHT	Circular leaf spots are water soaked at first and later concentric rings appear on the upper leaf surface.	: 1. Grow cucurbits under ideal soil fertility and moisture conditions. Seed treatment and spray at 10 days interval with Dithane M-45 (0.2%).
SCAB	Leaf spots are water soaked, brown, circular to angular and necrotic. Cankerous lesions develop the fruits.	1. Seed treatment with Captan (0.2%). 2. Spray Captan (0.2%) or Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or Ziram (0.2%) at 10 days interval. 3. Borax wash (2.5%) at 450 C for 1/2 minute or 400 C for 2 minutes ) before packing the fruits is ideal.
SCLEROTIUM WILT	Sudden wilt and dehydration of leaves. Frosty white fungal mycelial mat with mustard shaped brown coloured sclerotia are found on the stem at the ground level. Infected seeds are chalky white.	1. Avoid infested fields. 2. Crop rotation with low and paddy is very effective. 3. Brassicol (0.2%) and Dithane M-45 (0.3%) applied to soil are effective. 4. Treat the seed with Brassicol (0.2%).
CHARCOAL ROT OF FRUIT	Early symptoms on fruit are slightly sunken, rose- coloured areas. As the disease advances, the entire fruit is affected. The surface of the fruit becomes black, encrusted with sclerotia. The flesh becomes black and densely imprignated with sclerotia. In advanced stages, flesh turns typical charcoal. Infected seeds turn ashy grey and encrusted with sclerotia.	Treat the seeds with Bavistin (0.2%) or Vitavax (0.2%).
PUMPKIN MOSAIC Click on Image for larger photo.	This disease is caused by a strain of watermelon mosaic virus-1. The important symptoms are vein clearing of the leaves followed by severe mosaic mottling, blistering and distortion. A peculiar serration is noticed on some foliage in which tips of the veins protrude beyond the edges of the leaf giving toothed appearance. Fruits from infected plants show blistering and distortion.	1. Infected plants should be eradicated from the field. 2. Furadon @ 1.5 kg a i. / ha should be applied in the field at the time of sowing the seed. 3. Four five foliar sprays, either of Dimecron (0.05%) or Dimethoate (0.05%) or Metasystox (0.02%) at 10 days interval reduces the disease spread. 4. Krishi oil (2%) has also been found effective in minimising the disease spread. 5. Only virus free seeds should be used for sowing.
CUCUMBER MOSAIC	This disease is caused by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The important symptoms of the diseases are mosaic, mottling, stunting and distortion of leaves. Fruits from infected plants exhibit yellowish green mottling or yellow and green spots and wart-like projections.	1. Since cucumber mosaic virus has got a very wide host range, it is advisable to remove all the weed hosts from the field. 2. All the infected plants in the field must be removed as soon as they are noticed. 3. Spraying of Dimecron (0.05%) or Metasystox (0.02%) at 10 days interval gives good control of the disease.
CUCURBIT PHYLLODY	This disease is caused by mycoplasma- like organism (MLO). The disease is characterised by shortening of internodes and phyllody of normal flowers. Some plants bear cluster of phylloid flowers. Infected plants remain stunted and usually do not bear fruits. This disease infects almost all the cucurbitaceous vegetables.	1. All the disease plants must be rougued out form the field. 2. Apply Furdan @ 1.5 kg a.i./ ha at the time of sowing the seed. 2. Spray systamatic insecticides like Dimercon (0.05%) or Dimethoate (0.05%) at 10 days interval. 4. Application of 200 ppm Oxytetracycline hydrochloride solution suppresses the disease symptoms for a limited period.