Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum on cucumber. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis on cantaloupe. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum on watermelon.

Symptoms:
Serious problem in cucumber, watermelon and cantaloupe plantings. This disease may be expressed as damping off of young seedlings, or may be expressed as rapid wilting and vine decline of mature plants as they encounter stress. A yellow or brown discoloration may be noticed in the water conducting tissue when stem is cut in cross section.

Control:
Race-specific resistance is widely available in commercial seed lines. Use disease resistant varieties. Fungus may survive in infected fields for many years and may be spread from field to field by farm equipment.

See also the Texas Plant Disease Handbook.

---