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How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

| More pests | More crops | About guidelines |

Pale green to yellow angular spots of downy mildew, Pseudoperonospora cubensis.

Cucurbits

Downy Mildew

Pathogen: Pseudoperonospora cubensis

(Reviewed 11/05, updated 6/08)

In this Guideline:

SYMPTOMS

Downy mildew first appears as small, pale green to yellow, angular spots delimited by leaf veins that give the foliage a mottled appearance. Eventually the spots coalesce and the leaf will turn brown. During moist weather, the lower surface of the leaf may be covered with a white to purple growth. Older leaves become infected first.

COMMENTS ON THE DISEASE

Downy mildew occurs only erratically in the Sacramento and Imperial Valleys. It attacks all cucurbits, although cucumber is the most commonly infected. Spores of the fungus are carried by air currents or by rain-splash or sprinklers. Rain, dew, and sprinkler irrigation favor this disease.

MANAGEMENT

Use resistant cucumber varieties. There are low levels of resistance in some varieties of melons and watermelons. Avoid overhead irrigation. Apply a treatment when disease symptoms first occur and repeat if symptoms reappear.

Common name Amount/Acre R.E.I.+ P.H.I.+
(trade name)   (hours) (days)
A. CHLOROTHALONIL
  (Bravo Ultrex, etc.) 1.4–1.8 lb 12 0
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Multi-site contact (M5)
  COMMENTS: Do not apply more than 19.1 lb/acre/season.
 
B. FAMOXADONE/CYMOXANIL
  (Tanos) 8 oz 12 3
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Quinone outside inhibitor (11) and Cyanoacetamide (27)
  COMMENTS: Do not make more than one application without alternating with a fungicide that has a mode of action other than Qol (Group 11) .
 
C. FENAMIDONE
  (Reason) 500SC 5.5 fl oz 12 14
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Quinone outside inhibitor (11)
  COMMENTS: Alternate with a fungicide that has a different mode of action (i.e., group number).
 
D. MANCOZEB
  (Dithane DF) 1–2 lb 24 5
  (Dithane F-45) 0.8–1.6 qt 24 5
  (Dithane M-45) 1–2 lb 24 5
  (Penncozeb) 75 DF Label rates 24 5
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Multi-site contact (M3)
  COMMENTS: Labeled for cucumbers, melons, watermelons, and summer squash only.
 
E. MANEB
  (Maneb 75 DF) 1.5–2 lb 24 5
  (Maneb 80) 1.5–2 lb 24 5
  (Manex) 1.2–1.6 qt 24 5
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Multi-site contact (M3)
 
F. MEFENOXAM/CHLOROTHALONIL
  (Ridomil Gold/Bravo) 1.5–2 lb 48 0
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Phenylamide (4) and Multi-site contact (M5)
 
G. MEFENOXAM/MANGANESE/ZINC
  (Ridomil Gold MZ) 2–2.5 lb 48 5
  MODE OF ACTION GROUP NAME (NUMBER1): Phenylamide (4)
  COMMENTS: Labeled for cucumbers, melons, watermelons, and summer squash only.
 
+ Restricted entry interval (R.E.I.) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without protective clothing. Preharvest interval (P.H.I.) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
1 Group numbers are assigned by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) according to different modes of actions (for more information, see http://www.frac.info/). Fungicides with a different group number are suitable to alternate in a resistance management program. In California, make no more than one application of fungicides with mode of action Group numbers 1, 4, 9, 11, or 17 before rotating to a fungicide with a different mode of action Group number; for fungicides with other Group numbers, make no more than two consecutive applications before rotating to fungicide with a different mode of action Group number.

[Precautions]

PUBLICATION

[UC Peer Reviewed]

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Cucurbits
UC ANR Publication 3445
Diseases
R. M. Davis, Plant Pathology, UC Davis
T. A. Turini, UC Cooperative Extension, Imperial County
B. J. Aegerter, UC Cooperative Extension, San Joaquin County
W. D. Gubler, Plant Pathology, UC Davis
J. J. Stapleton, UC IPM Program, Kearney Agricultural Center, Parlier

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