New pathogens associated with cantaloupe vine decline in Egypt and their chemical control under greenhouse conditions

Mostafa, Mohsen A.; Attia, Mohamed F.; Salama, Ragab M.; Ahmed, Marwa N.; Youssef, Maryan M.

doi:10.21608/ejbo.2025.368711.3228

New pathogens associated with cantaloupe vine decline in Egypt and their chemical control under greenhouse conditions

Document Type : Regular issue (Original Article)

Authors

¹ Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

² Microbiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/ejbo.2025.368711.3228

Abstract

Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) is severely attacked by many soil-borne pathogens through different growth stages, which usually result in vine decline and considerable losses in fruit yield. The genus Fusarium is considered one of the most important genera that include serious plant pathogens. The present study aimed to isolate and identify the fungal isolates of cantaloupe vine decline disease from fields located in different agroecological zones: Al Ayyat (Giza Governorate), Seds (Beni Suef Governorate), Wadi El Natrun (Beheira Governorate), Mut (New Valley Governorate), and Al Hammam (Matrouh Governorate). Identification of the associated fungi was carried out using both morphological and microscopic characteristics, besides molecular techniques using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Four fungal isolates of Fusarium were identified as Fusarium inflexum, F. oxysporum, F. nygamai, and F. ambrosium, and one isolate was identified as Paecilomyces dactylethromorphus. F. inflexum was the most frequent fungus, while the lowest frequency percentage was recorded for P. dactylethromorphus. ITS sequences of the isolates F04 and F05 showed 100% identity to Paecilomyces dactylethromorphus and Fusarium ambrosium, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first record of Paecilomyces dactylethromorphus and Fusarium ambrosium causing cantaloupe vine decline disease in Egypt. In vitro studies clearly showed the inhibitory effect of the three tested fungicides, namely, uniform SC 39%, Maxim XL 3.5%, and double WP 56%, with four concentrations against the growth of the five tested pathogenic fungi. It was found that all the tested fungicides significantly decreased the development of the tested fungi. Moreover, applying fungicides under greenhouse conditions reduced the root rot incidence and decreased the disease severity.

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