Diseases

Alternaria Leaf Blight of Melon

Cucumis melo L.

A fungal disease of melon caused by the pathogens Alternaria cucumerina and Alternaria alternata f. sp. cucurbitae. It is characterized by the appearance of concentrically zoned necrotic spots on leaves, leading to their premature senescence and defoliation.

In the reference 4 varieties crop Melon, where this is mentioned in the description.

The disease begins on the lower canopy of the plants, where small chlorotic spots form. As the disease progresses, they increase in size, acquiring a brown color and characteristic concentric zonation. In cases of severe infection, leaves curl, yellow, and die, which can lead to fruit exposure and subsequent sunburn.

On fruits, Alternaria leaf blight manifests less frequently as sunken brown spots, on the surface of which an olive-black spore mass forms under conditions of high humidity. Specific resistance genes in melon to this pathogen have not been described in modern scientific literature; therefore, breeding is primarily conducted based on the evaluation of germplasm collections.

General information about the subject — on the page Alternaria blight.

Sources8

Varieties of Melon mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.