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Maine

How does everyone feel about seeds coming from a pumpkin plant that had PM or root rot?

Do you think it will have some problems growing pumpkins or will it not matter? Both of my plants had a very bad case of PM this year and I was wondering if I should bother with the seeds or throw them? I made a couple crosses that I wanted to grow next year.

1488 Marsh X 1408.5 Wallace and 1243 Colbert X 1488 Marsh.

Anyone’s help would be greatly appreciated.

10/11/2012 2:08:02 PM

Colorado

powdery mildew wont be a problem-root could be. Maybe someone can chime in on what fungus can carry through the seeds.I believe rhizoctoia can

10/11/2012 3:21:00 PM

Muddy Waters

I have never heard of PM carrying over in the seed.

10/11/2012 3:39:55 PM

churchville, ny

Mosaic virus is carried in the seed - therefore I can not use any of my seeds from this year and will be looking for some good seeds to plant next year.

10/11/2012 10:03:27 PM

Maine

What is classified as a mosaic virus? Does PM fall under it?

10/11/2012 10:25:34 PM

San Antonio, tx

I believe powdery mildew is actually a fungus that grows in overly moist conditions. Mosaic on the other hand is a virus that can't be cured so pretty much infects all parts( roots,vines fruit and seeds)

10/11/2012 11:06:29 PM

Muddy Waters

Yes I threw my seeds away in 2002 in my 848.Actually the pumpkin went to Miami fla.on a semi with the seeds in it.The virus can be in some of the seeds but not necessarily all of the seeds(per MSU).I wouldnt grow them either.PM I would think is airborne not internal.

10/12/2012 5:22:40 AM

Springfield, VT

If you get a chance and know the disease a web search can tell you which disease carries over in the seeds. PM doesn't affect the seeds and is carried into the patch each year on the wind. The mosaic viruses can be since they do affect all of the plant. Most of the rots that affect roots do not carry over in the seeds. Some of the others have limited life spans in the seeds.

10/12/2012 8:34:54 AM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Some root rot diseases (like pythium) are in the soil. They require better drainage and regular fungicide applications.

10/12/2012 8:57:50 AM

Wi

I cannot give 100% fact here, but I am certain even mosiac virus has a low % chance of transfering to seed...under 50%. Not that I'd take that risk.

As cojoe says there are other diseses as well. Fusarium may be one, but again some seeds may contain while some won't.

Pythium definitely CAN NOT be transfered through seed. It only effects roots.

10/12/2012 9:11:16 AM

Glosta

seed borne diseases of cucurbits:

angular leaf spot
bacterial wilt
bacterial fruit blotch
alternia leaf spot
anthracnose
Gummy stem blight
fusarium wilt
Squash Mosaic Virus
Watermelon mosaic virus

There are probably more that I missed

10/12/2012 2:26:19 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Almost all of the above can be prevented...with a pre germination treatment with a good fungicide(Thiram). I have read of some people using a hot water treatment for 15 minutes prior to planting the seed, although pumpkins are more suseptable to damage with this treatment.

10/14/2012 10:47:54 AM

churchville, ny

I have been reading as much as possible on squash mosaic virus - Shannon, in a Cornell University study they stated that "The virus is carried within the seed and cannot be eliminated by hot water or chemical treatment with tusodium phosphate."

I will be using all new seeds on my 15 acres of pumpkins next year and plan to plant an early "trap crop" of hubbard sqaush to try to eliminate the cuke beetles prior to planting my giants.

10/15/2012 8:12:18 PM

churchville, ny

Any ideas for the best contact insecticide to eliminate cuke beetles as soon as they appear - obviously systemics won't work since it only takes 1 bite to transmit the disease - I used imachloprid this year but still got SqMV. Bry - I think we need to add cucumber mosaic virus to the list.

10/15/2012 8:23:03 PM