It is not too early to begin looking for and treating powdery mildew on melons. Initial powdery mildew colonies may be very small and few in number; however, they will continue to grow and produce ever larger quantities of spores, which in turn initiate more infections to bring about a rapid increase in disease symptoms. In recent fungicide evaluation trials, several fungicides have provided excellent control of powdery mildew, including Microthiol Disperss (wettable sulfur) Quintec (quinoxyfen), Procure (triflumizole), Rally (myclobutanil), and Endura (boscalid). Thoroughly read the label for each product before use for critical information concerning that particular chemistry.

Powdery Mildew in Cantaloupe

To contact Mike Matheron go to: matheron@ag.arizona.edu.

For questions or comments on any of the topics please contact Marco Pena at the Yuma Agricultural Center.
College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.