Year-Round IPM Program Pages
This year-round IPM program covers the major pests of cucurbits in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Coachella, Palos Verde and Imperial Valleys, as well as Riverside County.
About Vegetative growth
- Special issues of concern related to environmental quality: runoff, drift, risk to bees and native pollinators, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Mitigate pesticide effects on air and water quality.
What should you be doing during this time?
Monitor for the following pests or their damage and treat if needed according to the Cucurbits Pest Management Guidelines:
Arthropods- Aphids (green peach and melon)
- Cabbage looper
- Cucumber beetles (adults)
- Cutworm (in honeydew, crenshaw, and casaba melon)
- Leafminers
- Spider mites
- Squash bugs (in squash, pumpkin, and melon)
- Whiteflies
- Downy mildew
- Powdery mildew
Note symptoms or damage from the following and manage prior to future planting:
- Charcoal rot
- Fusarium wilt (in cantaloupe, watermelon)
- Root knot nematodes
- Root rots
- Sudden wilt
- Verticillium wilt
- Vine decline-like symptoms caused by Pythium
- Viruses (Cucumber mosaic, Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows, Potyviruses, Squash mosaic virus)
If needed, manage weeds with cultivation or herbicide applications according to the Cucurbits Pest Management Guidelines. Controlling weeds prior to vining has the most potential to minimize yield impacts. During cooler seasons or for crops with a long growing season, a layby herbicide can be beneficial. If herbicides will be used, customize the susceptibility to herbicide table for the weed complex in your field.
Take leaf tissue samples for nutrient analysis and apply nutrients as necessary.
Other pests or damage you may see:
Arthropods- Darkling beetle
- Flea beetles
- Grasshoppers and crickets
- Leafhopper
- Seedcorn maggot
- Thrips
- Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus