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Chico, Ca

Please take a look at the photos (5) in this link.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=53512

Anyone have any Ideas? this started out slowly along the mains and has crept into the secondaries.

We have kept up using sytemic and occasional contact insecticides as well as fungicides. We had a mild winter so the season has been full of whitefly. We also found that we have some small green worms as well for the first time. All of our soil #'s are good as well as our fert levels.

We are thinking virus. If so what kind? Insect borne? soil borne?

Thanks, Robert

7/27/2006 12:33:55 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Doesn't look like a virus.

Cut a leaf off & bring it inside where there is good light. Use a strong magnifying lens to examine the bottom of the leaf.

What do you see?

7/27/2006 1:27:30 PM

Chico, Ca

I see thousands of small clear dropletts that are hard. nothing that looks powdery or spore like. they do not look eggs either as there was a white fly on one leaf and the droplettes looked to be too big for that.

if this is bug related... we have been using: imidacloprid,esfenvalerate. the whitefly issue has been overwhelming. I have been spraying everywhere on my property and some areas of my neighbors property ( with his permission) every few days to try and knock them down.

this is new to us.... our usual pest, aphids, are completely absent this year.

A Ag saleman friend gave me some thiamethoxam to try. pumkins are listed on it. Tremor, what is you opinion on this product?

7/27/2006 1:51:53 PM

60C Bayview Rd.Castroville,Calif 95012

Robert,
It looks like a virus called yellow beet sudo virus which is in my area and it is carried by white flys. I took leaves in to be tested at the U.S.D.A. Research office in Salinas. That is what they came up with for me about 3 yrs ago.Several others growers have had problems in my area with it. This year it is not as bad as it has been in the past.It doesn't kill the plant outright with my experince but it really cuts down on what it produces.
Hope that helps,Jeff

8/2/2006 1:11:29 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Cruiser is usually used as a seed treatment & is in the same chemical family (neonicitinoid) as Merit/Admire/Arena/etc.

It should do well but I've never used it on cucurbita sp.

These clear hardened droplets....are they "hairs" or does it look like each leaf was pierced by an aphid-like insect?

8/2/2006 8:01:39 AM

Chico, Ca

not hairs.... can't tell if it was pierced.

Thanks for info Jeff. It has slowed down quite a bit but weight gains are terrible this year.

8/11/2006 4:55:38 PM