FORECAST DISCUSSION: Tuesday, May 9: Long-range transport and deposition are unlikely from the known sources Tuesday and Wednesday. In Florida, trajectories move northeast and east each day. However, the combination of partly cloudy skies and the chance of afternoon showers may give rise to some short-range or localized disease development. Better chance of showers each day in the southern 2/3 of the state. For today and Wednesday..... Weakly Moderate Risk for northern FL; Moderate Risk for central and southern FL. Conditions are unfavorable near the sources in Mexico during the next two days. Low Risk to growers in those regions.
*** 4 May disease update: Downy mildew has been discovered in a field of cantaloupe in Webster, FL. This is in Sumter County in the central portion of the state. Both older and newer lesions are present and the fresh lesions are sporulating strongly. Disease appears to have been present in the field for about 2 weeks. This source is being added to the forecasts immediately. We thank James Strandberg with the University of Florida's Mid-Florida Research and Education Center for his report.
*** 2 May disease update: Gene McAvoy reports the presence of cucurbit downy mildew in a dozen or more places in southwest Florida, roughly centered around Immokalee. Crops include cantaloupe, cucumber, and watermelons. Infection rates are running from 5-10% or less in most cases. Mid-April rains caused flare-ups of the disease, which is now spreading slowly but steadily. Epidemic spread is expected to continue during May.... aggravated by increased inoculum sources and (historically) comparatively more favorable weather. ***
TK
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This service is provided by the North Carolina State University departments of Plant Pathology and Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences.
Web page last updated by Thomas Keever on 9 May 2000.