According to The South Carolina Grower, cucurbit downy mildew was found in South Carolina this week in Bamberg, Barnwell and Calhoun Counties. In each case, downy mildew was found on cucumbers, though severity seems low.
It was noted that the disease’s discovery was about two weeks earlier than in the past couple of years.
All cucumber and cantaloupe growers in South Carolina should begin applying protective fungicides to help prevent or manage downy mildew. Ranman tank-mixed with a protectant, such as chlorothalonil or mancozeb, or applications of Zampro are good options for protecting plants prior to symptom development. For more information, see Dr. Tony Keinath’s CDM Management publication.