• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.419-429
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• 2017

We investigated the occurrence pattern of diseases and insect pests and disease control efficacy of organic materials against watermelon powdery mildew in small type watermelon in Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do, 2015. The result of this study, the small type watermelon was damaged by diseases and pests such as Didymella bryoniae, Podosphaera xanthii, Aphis gossypii, Tetranychus urticae, thrips, Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera litura. Among them, the occurrence of P. xanthii, T. urticae and thrips was high. Diseased leaf rate by P. xanthii, a casual agent of powdery mildew, was 27~99.3% in three small type watermelon cultivars in the middle of June. The number of T. urticae per leaf was high from 79.9 to 111 in three small type watermelon cultivars in the middle of June. It showed high number of thrips captured by yellow and blue sticky trap. Highest numbers of yellow sticky trap (407) and of blue sticky trap (774) were detected in the middle and first of June, respectively. The disease control efficacy of mayonnaise, oleic acid and three organic materials against powdery mildew of small type watermelon in fields was evaluated. As thre results, the symptoms of plant disease were effectively reduced by over 60% in the treatments of materials such as sodium bicarbonate 80%, mayonnaise and the extract of Rheum palmatum 1%. The highest control efficacy was 83% in the treatment of sodium bicarbonate 80%. From this study, we had a information of the occurrence pattern of diseases and insect pests in small type watermelon and the treatment of material containing sodium bicarbonate 80% was very effective for controlling against powdery mildew.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2012

Powdery mildew and root-knot nematode are very important diseases occurred in cucurbits. This study was conducted to evaluate the resistance of commercial cucurbit cultivars (21 cultivars of cucumber, 9 cultivars of watermelon, 7 cultivars of oriental melon, and 2 cultivars of melon) to powdery mildew and root-knot nematode. At 60 days after transplanting, disease severity of powdery mildew of commercial cucurbit cultivars was investigated. Two cucumber cultivars, 'Gangryeogsamcheok' and 'Sunhobaegchimdadagi' were moderately resistant but the rest of cucumber cultivars were susceptible to powdery mildew. All examined watermelon and oriental melon cultivars were susceptible to powdery mildew, while two melon cultivars ('PMR Turbo' and 'PMR Victory') were resistant. At 45 days after inoculation of seedlings, disease severity of root-knot nematode of commercial cucurbit cultivars were investigated. One cucumber cultivars, 'Baegbongdadagi' was moderately resistant and the others were susceptible to root-knot nematode. In case of watermelon, 'Dalgonakkul' was resistant and the others were moderately resistant or susceptible to root-knot nematode. All examined oriental melon and melon cultivars were susceptible to root-knot nematode. On these results, we recommend that resistant cultivars to powdery mildew and/or root-knot nematode will be more suitable in cultivation of cucurbits for organic farming.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.912-923
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• 2016

Watermelon production is often limited by powdery mildew in areas with a large daily temperature range. Development of resistant watermelon cultivars can protect against powdery mildew; however, little is known about the characteristics of its causal agents. Here, we identified the genus and race of a causal pathogen of powdery mildew in Ansung province of South Korea, and developed molecular markers for the generation of resistant watermelon cultivars. The causal pathogen was determined to be Podosphaera xanthii based on multiple sequence alignments of internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of rDNA. The physiological race was identified as 1W, and the Ansung isolate was named P. xanthii 1W-AN. Following inoculation with the identified P. xanthii 1W-AN, we found inheritance of the resistant gene fitting a single dominant Mendelian model in a segregated population ('SBA' ${\times}$ PI 254744). To develop molecular markers linked to fungus-resistant loci, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was accomplished between DNA pooled from eight near-isogenic lines (NILs; $BC_4F_6$), originated from PI 254744 and susceptible 'SBB' watermelon. After sequencing bands from RAPD were identified in all eight NILs and PI254744, 42 sequence-characterized amplifiedregion (SCAR) markers were developed. Overall, 107 $F_2$ plants derived from $BC_4F_6$ NIL-1 ${\times}$ 'SBB' were tested, and one SCAR marker was selected. Sequence comparison between the SCAR marker and the reference watermelon genome identified three Nco I restriction enzyme sites harboring a single nucleotide polymorphism, and codominant cleavage-amplified polymorphic site markers were subsequently developed. A CAPS marker was converted to a high-resolution melt (HRM) marker, which can discriminate C/T SNP (254PMR-HRM3). The 254PMR-HRM3 marker was evaluated in 138 $F_{2:3}$ plants of a segregating population ('SBA' ${\times}$ PI254744) and was presumed to be 4.3 cM from the resistance locus. These results could ensure P. xanthii 1W-AN resistance in watermelon germplasm and aid watermelon cultivar development in marker-assist breeding programs.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.309-314
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• 2015

Xylogone ganodermophthora (Xg) is an ascomycetous fungus that causes yellow rot on cultivated Ganoderma lucidum. Previously, we reported in vitro antifungal activities of a Xg culture extract against several watermelon pathogens. In 2014, we conducted greenhouse experiments to evaluate the control efficacy of a water extract of cultured Xg on watermelon powdery mildew (WPM). The test material (stock solution, ca. $4,000{\mu}g/ml$) was prepared by an autoclaved Xg culture in water at a ratio of 800 g of culture per 6 liter of water, and then filtering it through filter paper. Six foliar applications of the solutions (diluted 100- and 1,000-fold) significantly suppressed the formation of conidiophores and conidia. The inhibitory effect of aqueous potassium phosphonate solution on the disease and its phytotoxicity was tested. Phytotoxicity on watermelon plants was observed at concentrations of 1,000 and $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ as irregular brownish spots. The control efficacies against WPM were 91.9% at $2,000{\mu}g/ml$, 64.9% at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$, and 62.2% at $500{\mu}g/ml$.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2014

Alternative spraying was developed using fungicides and potassium phosphonate to control watermelon powdery mildew (WPM) caused by Sphaerotheca fusca under greenhouse condition. In 2010 trial, a total of 9 combinations of 6 fungicides which are legally registered in Korea and currently used on watermelon farms were tested for the control efficacy against WPM. Though the combination of chlorothalonil (Chl)-myclobutanil (My)-fenarimol (Fen)-hexaconazole (Hex) was the most effective (82.6%) in the first-year trial, it had the problem that My, Fen and Hex have the same mode of action. Therefore, in the second-year trial to improve the fungicide combination and to reduce fungicide application, fungicides and potassium phosphonate (P) combinations were tested for WPM control using 500 ppm aqueous potassium phosphonate solution which is both eco-friendly and showing different mode of action from the fungicides tested. The P-My-Fen-Hex applied at 10-day intervals provided relatively high control (75.6%), whereas Chl-My-Fen-P provided 31.8% control. To improve the control, fungicides and P were applied at 7-day intervals in the third-year trial. Though Chl-My-Fen-Hex provided the highest control (89.6%), P-My-Fen-Hex also provided relatively high control (83.5%) compared to 65.9 % control with Chl-My-Fen-P, which suggests that Chl-My-Fen-Hex could be replaced with P-My-Fen-Hex for WPM control.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of soluble potassium silicate by soil drenching application on watermelon growth, yield, and nutrient uptake. The potassium silicate rates were control (No potassium silicate), 1.63mM, 3.25mM, 6.50mM. The potassium silicate were treated 6 times (twice before fruit forming and 4 times after fruit forming per 7 day. Soil chemical properties, such as soil pH, EC, available phosphorus and silicate, exchangeable K, nitrate-N levels were increased after potassium silicate treatment, while the concentrations of soil organic matter, exchangeable Ca and Mg were similar to control. The growth characteristics of watermelon, such as stem diameter, fresh and dry weight of watermelon at harvest were thicker and heavier for increased potassium silicate treatment than the control, while number of node, and plant length were same for all treatments. With increased potassium silicate treatment, nutrient concentrations, such as P and K in the watermelon leaf at harvest were increased, N concentration in the leaf was decreased, and Ca and Mg concentrations in the leaf were same. Chlorophyll content was increased with increased potassium silicate application. The occurrence of powdery mildew was lower for the potassium silicate treatments than the control. Fresh watermelon weight for the potassium silicate treatments was 0.1 to 0.5kg per watermelon heavier than the control, sugar content was 0.5 to $0.6^{\circ}Brix$ higher than control, and merchantable watermelon was 2 to 4% increased compared to the control. These results suggest that potassium silicate application by soil drenching method in the greenhouse can improve watermelon nutrient uptake, merchantable watermelon and suppress the occurrence of powdery mildew.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.673-683
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• 2014

This study was conducted to establish an efficient screening method to identify cucurbits resistant to powdery mildew. Powdery mildew fungus was obtained from a single lesion of infected cucumber leaf in 2010 at Daejeon. The fungus was identified as Podosphaera xanthii race 1 based on morphological characteristics and resistance responses of four melon differentials. Development of powdery mildew caused by the fungal isolate on 34 commercial cultivars of cucumber was investigated at three plant growth stages in a greenhouse. The degree of resistance of cotyledons of each cultivar to the fungus was not correlated with that of whole plant, but powdery mildew occurrence in the first true leaf was highly correlated with resistance at the level of the whole plant. Based on these results, the first true leaf of cucurbit cultivars can be used for screening of resistance to powdery mildew. In addition, variation of resistance of commercial 12 cucumber and 26 melon cultivars to the powdery mildew fungus due to different growing seasons was tested. In the case of cucumber, the resistance response in some cultivars was influenced by growing season. The resistant cultivars showed higher resistance in the warm season than in the cool season. By contrast, the resistant melon cultivars demonstrated strong resistance in all the tested growing seasons. Interestingly, the tested powdery mildew pathogen, a member of P. xanthii race 1, was not pathogenic on seven cultivars of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). To follow up on this, diverse race 1 isolates of P. xanthii should be collected and tested.

• Plant Disease and Agriculture
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 1999

Ultraviolet light is required for the sporulation of Didymella bryoniae, a gummy stem blight fungus in cucurbits such as watermelon, melon, oriental melon, cucumber and pumpkin. In this experiment, the upper limit of wave length for the production of pycnidia of D. bryoniae was 365 nm - 375 nm. Two plastic houses were covered with either common transparent film (wave length longer than 225 nm is transmitted) or UV-absorbing film ( wave lenght shorter than 388 nm is absorbed). In both houses, seedlings inoculated with D. bryoniae were placed in the center of the house at 30 days after transplantation of watermelon (cv. Whanhoseong), and the disease incidences between the houses were compared until 80 days after transplantation. The number of disease lesions and incidence of pycnidia-producing lesions under the UV-absorbing film were reduced by 90% and 80%, respectively, compared to the common transparent film. The internode lengths of plants grown in the two houses were not significantly different, but the plants grown under the UV-absorbing film had longer vines and more leaves than plants under the common transparent film. However, fruit characters such as weight, length, width, rind thick and brix, were not different between the two houses. Occurrence of aphids was reduced in the UV-absorbing film, but those of mites or diseases (powdery mildew and sooty mold) were not different between the houses. These results suggest that disease incidence of gummy stem blight of watermelon in the greenhouse can be controlled by the use of UV-absorbing film.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2002

Climate in the year of 2001 could be summarized as severe drought from March to May, unusually high temperature in whole plant growth periods and clear weather condition especially in harvesting time of September and October without any typoons. In rice, major diseases such as leaf and panicle blast, bacterial blight, sheath blight and bacterial grain rot developed little due to unfavorable weather conditions, however, brown spot occurred severely due partly to the reduced use of N-fertilizer, Rice stripe virus infection was unusually high mainly in the west coast areas with four times more diseaseD area campared to the previous year, In pepper phytophthora blight was extremely severe in Cheonnam and Cheonbuk provinces, where had frequent rainfalls during growing period. Incidence of major diseases of tomato and cucumber in 2001 was relatively mild. In watermelon, penicillium fruit rot, one of the peculiar disease, spread over major production areas, whereas CGMMV, usually severe in every years was much reduced. Watermelon plants growing in open-fields were more severely diseased than those in plastic houses. Major diseases of chinese melon and strawberry occurred slightly and in particular, sudden wilt syndrome of chinese melon which was severe in 2000 showed mild infections in 2001. Incidence of white rot of garlic and onion was much lower unlike other years due mainly to spring drought and high temperature in the growing period. Infected area of potato bacterial wilt tended to increase in 2001 while fusarium wilt of sweetpotato was decreased. Apple diseases were generally mild, but powdery mildew of pear increased sharply. Barley scab was not severe as seen in other years.