Cucurbit downy mildew was found in a commercial cucumber field in Salem County in southern New Jersey today. This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew in the state this growing season. All cucurbit growers should scout their fields on a regular basis and should add a downy mildew specific fungicide to thier weekly fungicide maintenance program. For current 2013 Cucurbit Downy and Powdery Mildew Management Guidelines please see post from 6/7/13. Additional information on the control of cucurbit downy mildew can be found in the 2013 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations.
Organic growers should scout thier cucurbit plantings on a regular basis and apply an OMRI-approved copper based fungicide or other labeled product to help suppress the development of cucurbit downy mildew. Adequate and repeated spray coverage of the bottom of all leaf surfaces is critical for the control of cucurbit downy mildew in organic cucurbit production. It is important to remember that control of downy mildew begins with planting resistant cucumber varieties when possible. No other cucurbits have resistance to downy mildew.
