Downy Mildew Confirmed on Melons in Wayne County and Cucumbers in Henry County, OH

Downy mildew on cantaloupe.

Downy mildew continues to spread on cucumbers in Ohio, with a confirmed report in Henry County this week.  The disease is likely to be widespread on cucumbers in northern Ohio, particularly after last week’s rainy, humid weather.  As usually happens within a few weeks of cucumber downy mildew outbreaks, we are now finding downy mildew on cantaloupe.  Chris Smedley and the Wayne County IPM Scouting team found widespread and fairly severe downy mildew in commercial melons in the northwestern part of Wayne County, where we first reported downy mildew on cucumbers on June 28.  As noted in previous posts, it is imperative that growers protect melons as well as cucumbers with downy mildew-effective fungicides such as Orondis Opti and Ranman if they are in an area where downy mildew risk is high, such as northern Ohio.  See my June 28 post for a list of recommended fungicides. Remember to follow label instructions and alternate products with different modes of action.

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