OCCURRENCE AND IMPORTANCE OF CUCURBITS DOWNY MILDEW DISEASE IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

2 Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Downy mildew of cucurbits, caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk. & Curt.) Rostow, is one of the most important economic diseases which attack cucurbits causing great losses in the yield under open field. The highest disease severity was recorded in Nily season, while the low­est was in Summer season. Percentage of disease severity at Kalubia governorate was less than those at Sharkia and Ismailia in Nily season. The highest percentage of disease severity was obtained when the plants were inoculated with 7.5 x 103 sporangia/ml, _while 2.5 x 103 sporangi/ml gave the lowest percentage. High disease severity was re­ported on cucumber, snakemelon and cantaloupe, while the lowest dis­ease severity was on watermelon, loofah and squash plants.