Symptoms

• It attacks muskmelons, squash, cucumbers, gourds, and pumpkins.
• It is evident as a superficial, powdery, grayish-white growth on upper leaf surfaces, petioles, and even main stems of infected plants.
• Affected areas turn yellow then brown and die.
• In dry seasons, powdery mildew can cause premature leaf drop and premature fruit ripening.
• Some early disease results from spores produced on over wintering cucurbit debris or weeds but the major source of disease inoculum is windblown spores from southern crops.
• Warm, dry weather conditions favor the development of powdery mildew.

Management

• Powdery mildew can be controlled by application of Wettable sulphur @ 0.2%.