A Diagnostic Guide for Fusarium Fruit Rot of Pumpkin and Winter Squash

Abstract

Fusarium fruit rot caused by Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae is an important postharvest disease impacting the global production and storage of pumpkins and winter squash (Cucurbita spp.). The pathogen infects fruit through wounds, causing water-soaked lesions that may become sunken, coalesce, and covered by fine mycelial growth. Fusarium solani is soilborne and can survive long term in soil and plant debris. Storage rots impact several Cucurbita species grown for long-term storage. F. solani f. sp. cucurbitae has two races and is the most commonly found Fusarium species infecting cucurbits. Identification includes morphologic and PCR-based methods. This guide outlines taxonomy, symptoms, isolation, and epidemiology and provides methods to identify the pathogen.