It seems within the last week whitefly adults have become easier to find on spring melons. As temperatures continue to increase, damage to spring melons from whitefly feeding should be a concern. Sooty mold contamination on cantaloupes, mixed melons and watermelons can significantly reduce fruit quality and marketability. Although whitefly numbers have been low up to now, PCAs should not be complacent in their monitoring and sampling. With the warmer weather we are now experiencing, numbers are likely to increase rapidly in the next few weeks. Our research has shown that to prevent melon yield and quality losses, a foliar insecticide treatment should be applied when a threshold of 2 adult whiteflies per leaf is exceed. This threshold applies for the IGRs, neonicotinoids and synergized pyrethroids. (Please go to the following documents for more information on whitefly management, thresholds and insecticide efficacy). Note: CYSDV virus symptoms have already been observed on a few cantaloupe plants in a field in the Yuma Valley. Lab results are not back yet, but if you spot suspicious CYSDV symptoms on melon leaves this spring please let us know.

To contact John Palumbo go to: jpalumbo@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.