Melon Leaf Symptoms

Originally prepared for Vegetable MD Online.

This page includes symptoms caused by:

Bacteria

Angular leaf spot | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

diseased melon leaves
Photo courtesy of Meg McGrath, Cornell University, LIHREC, NY.

Symptoms: Brown spots, angular in shape (restricted by small veins), often with yellow haloes. Young spots are water-soaked. Older spots have holes in center. Scab causes similar symptoms on leaves. Stems, petioles and fruits develop water-soaked spots that become covered with a white crust.

Bacterial leaf spot | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

Symptoms: Leaf spots much smaller than those of Angular leaf spot, and initially may be over looked. The veins do not define the lesion shape, and the yellow margin is indefinite. Fruit lesions vary in size, and may progress into flesh of fruit, causing them to rot.

Bacterial wilt

diseased melon leaf
Bacteria enter xylem vessels of leaf veins and move down the peitole and vine. Photo courtesy of T.A. Zitter, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Symptoms: Wilt starts on leaves which then develop interveinal necrosis. The petiole and vine eventually die back.

Fungi & Oomycetes

Alternaria leaf blight | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

diseased melon leaf
Photo courtesy of Meg McGrath, Cornell University, LIHREC, NY.

Symptoms: Brown spots, 0.5-5 mm or larger in diameter, with yellow halo. Spots often have concentric rings (target appearance). Uncommon.

Anthracnose | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

diseased melon leaf
Early infection of melon reveals the roughly circular lesions just beginning to coalesce, with the centers beginning to crack. Photo courtesy of T. A. Zitter, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Symptoms: Tan to brown oval spots with pycnidia. Spots may have light centers. Spots on stems and petioles (shallow, elongated, tan) and also on fruit.

Downy mildew | See factsheet for more information

diseased underside of a melon leaf
Photo courtesy of Meg McGrath, Cornell University, LIHREC, NY.

Symptoms: Brown spots, angular in shape (restricted by small veins). Young spots are pale-green then yellow on upper surface. Purplish or gray spores form on under leaf surfaces. Leaves turn brown and die but remain erect, resembling frost injury.

Gummy stem blight | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

three diseased melon leaves
Photo courtesy of Meg McGrath, Cornell University, LIHREC, NY.

Symptoms: Occasional marginal necrosis and large, wedge-shaped necrotic areas. Yellow haloes may occur. Older spots are often dry and cracked. Spots and streaks on stems, sometimes with gummy exudate. Pycnidia on leaves and stems. Fruit rot phase called black rot. Localized occurrence in region.

Phytophthora rot | See factsheet for more information

single diseased melon leaf
Photo courtesy of Meg McGrath, Cornell University, LIHREC, NY.

Symptoms: Dark brown leaf spots, up to 5 cm in diameter. Growing tips will likely collapse. Plant decline and fruit rot are more common symptoms. Localized occurrence in field and in region.

Plectosporium blight | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

Symptoms: Light tan spots, small, spindle-shaped, sunken, dry, scabby. Spots on main leaf veins and sometimes leaf blades, also on stems, petioles, and sometimes fruit.

Powdery mildew | See factsheet for more information

fungal growth on a cucurbit leaf
Photo courtesy of Chris Smart, Cornell University, NY.

Symptoms: White, powdery-like spots appearing first on the under surface of older leaves. Also on upper leaf surfaces.

Septoria leaf spot

diseased melon leaf
Abundant small circular white spots are indicative of Septoria leaf spot on a melon leaf. Photo courtesy of T.A. Zitter, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Symptoms: White or beige spots, circular, 1-2 mm or larger in diameter, with narrow brown border. Brown water-soaked spots under wet conditions. Older spots usually are cracked and have a few pycnidia. Fruit symptoms also present.

Scab

Symptoms: Brown spots, angular in shape (restricted by small veins), often with yellow haloes. Young spots are pale-green and water-soaked. Older spots have holes in center. Angular leaf spot causes similar symptoms. Symptoms also occur on petioles, stems and fruit.

Ulocladium

Symptoms: Reddish-brown lesions can reach 6-7 mm in diameter with beige centers surrounded by a darker necrotic ring and brown halo. Lesions are similar in appearance to Angular leaf spot but do not develop the typical “shot hole” appearance.

Phytoplasmas

Aster yellows

Symptoms: Yellowing of young leaves, proliferation of secondary shoots, and rigid, erect growth habit. Fruit symptoms also present. Uncommon.

Viruses

Cucumber Mosaic Virus | See factsheet for more information (LIHREC)

diseased melon leaves and vines
Mosaic symptoms on melon infected with CMV-NYS. Photo courtesy of T.A. Zitter, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Symptoms: Leaves mottled, distorted, wrinkled, curled, dwarfed. Plant stunted. Fruit symptoms also present.

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