Final MELCAST of 2023

Last night and this morning, rains rolled through parts of Indiana. The portion of the leaf wetness caused after midnight will not be evident on the data shown below. However, some of the MELCAST sites below do show some movement. Cantaloupe growers using the Ft. Vallonia, Goshen, LaGrange, Oaktown, Vincennes, or West Lafayette sites should be on 11-12 day fungicide schedule. Growers in the Marshall or Williamsburg area, should be on a 9 -10 day schedule. Watermelon growers in the Decker, Ft. Vallonia, Oaktown, Southwest Purdue Ag Center, Vincennes areas should be on about a 10-11 day fungicide schedule. Growers in the Marshall and Starlight area should be on about a 12 day schedule. 

Vegetable growers may be wondering when to apply the final fungicide application. It is important to leave the crop protected until the last harvest. Yet, it is important not to waste fungicides. In most cases, the last fungicide application should occur 10 to 14 days from the final harvest. Most fungicides that are designed to protect the foliage will last on or in the plant for 10 to 14 days. In addition, foliar diseases that affect primarily leaves and stems such as downy mildew, gummy stem blight, and powdery mildew that do not affect fruit directly are not necessary a few days from harvest. A fungicide application a few days before harvest is expensive and ineffective. Plus, it is necessary to keep in mind the Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI). Note—downy mildew has not been reported in Indiana in 2023.

Some diseases affect the fruit directly. However, even for these diseases, most final fungicide applications should occur no sooner than 7 days before harvest.

This is the last MELCAST Update for 2023. However, the MELCAST system will continue working well into the fall. If you have questions or comments, please address them to Dan Egel at the contact information given here.