- Worldwide distribution. On cucurbits: gourds, melons, pumpkins, squash, zucchini, and others.
- There are a number of reasons for the warts. (i) there are heirloom varieties or varieties that are selected or bred for warts; they are popular for historical reasons and sought for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and for traditional foods; (ii) oedema occurs in cool, cloudy and wet weather. It occurs when there is a build-up of water and cells burst, but later heal; (iii) virus infections cause knobbly fruit; (iv) insects chew the fruit.
- Oedema warts on pumpkin can affect marketability; and viruses can cause high (>50%) losses.
- Cultural control: (oedema) control irrigation practices, check drainage; (viruses) avoid overlapping crops, rogue, virus resistant varieties (Cucumber mosaic virus); weed. If insects are a problem, use soaps or oils; possibly, synthetic pyrethroids.
Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides
Cucurbit warts (267)
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Summary
Common Name
Warts on cucurbits.
Scientific Name
Biotic causes (variety, viruses, insects) and abiotic causes (oedema).
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information (and Photo 3) from Lindsey du Toit Photo gallery of vegetable problems - Pumpkin. Pacific Northwest Vegetable Extension Group, Washington State University. (http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/squash.htm); and from Goldy R (2014) What are these bumps on my vegetables? Michigan State University Extension. (http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/what_are_these_bumps_on_my_vegetables). Photos 1&2 Eric Boa, UK. Photo 4 Gerald Holmes Edema on pumpkin. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis, Bugwood.org. Photo 5 Diseases of vegetable crops in Australia (2010). Editors, Denis Persley, et al. CSIRO Publishing.
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
