Tag: fusarium wilt
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Deep Dive: Fusarium Wilt in Watermelons

Calling all watermelon growers… Make sure to tune in to the latest SC Grower Exchange episodes including our deep dive into Fusarium Wilt. Commercial Horticulture agent, Rob Last, talks with Professor of Plant Pathology Research and Extension Vegetable Pathologist, Dr. Anthony Keinath, and discusses recent observations and tips for dealing with fusarium wilt, specifically in…
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More Evidence that Choosing Grafting or the Right Cultivar is More Important than Using Fungicides to Manage Fusarium Wilt of Watermelon

By Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath My 2024 Fusarium wilt experiment at Coastal REC, Charleston, SC, was a streamlined version of the 2023 experiment with 2 fungicides, 2 cultivars, and grafting, except we tested 1 different fungicide and 1 different cultivar. The 2024 results, however, matched the results from 2023 (see title). Already at 3…
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Seeking Stakeholder Input for New Fusarium Wilt Grant

From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath The USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) funded as part of the Farm Bill provides multi-million-dollar grants to solve problems identified as priorities by specialty crop producers. Last year the USDA awarded a planning grant to the University of Florida to plan a grant proposal on Fusarium wilt of…
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2023 Fusarium Wilt on Seedless Watermelon Experiment – Week 7 Observations

From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath This year’s Fusarium wilt experiment includes 3 seedless cultivars, 3 fungicide treatments applied via drip irrigation, and grafting. This experiment is supported in part by a USDA SCRI grant. Transplants were set April 5 in a field infested with Fusarium races 1 and 2. These preliminary results are based…
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2023 Fusarium Wilt on Seedless Watermelon Experiment – Week 5 Observations

From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath This year’s Fusarium wilt experiment includes 3 seedless cultivars, 3 fungicide treatments applied via drip irrigation, and grafting. (This experiment is supported in part by a USDA SCRI grant.) Transplants were set April 5 in a field infested with Fusarium races 1 and 2. Right on schedule, symptoms of…
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How Seedless Watermelon Cultivars React to Fusarium Wilt: Average Results of 2021 and 2022 Trials

From Tony Keinath, Extension Vegetable Pathologist. As part of a large USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant, I have been working with Dr. Jonathan Schultheis, Horticulturist at NCSU, to evaluate seedless watermelon cultivars grown in plots naturally infested with the Fusarium wilt fungus. The South Carolina trials were done in my Fusarium-infested field at the…
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Fusarium Wilt on Okra

From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath. Late summer is the time of year when Fusarium wilt shows up on okra. Because the fungus travels in the xylem, external symptoms are visible on all above-ground plant parts. Although the main stem may remain partially green, side branches turn brown, and pods dry completely. To diagnose Fusarium…
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Fusarium Wilt Symptoms in Watermelon at Fruit Set Stage

From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath and Extension Agent Rob Last. Watermelon growers may find new plants with symptoms of Fusarium wilt as the plants start to set fruit or as fruit sizes up. In the infested field at Coastal REC, 3-5% of the plants previously rated as healthy showed symptoms in the past 2…
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Fusarium Wilt in Watermelon
From Clemson Plant Pathologist Tony Keinath. Fusarium wilt is showing up in watermelon fields and in research plots at Coastal REC in Charleston. The most telltale symptoms are wilting of a few leaves at the crown of the plant, wilting of one vine on a plant, or wilting without yellowing of a small plant. A…