Fusarium wilt of watermelon: Towards sustainable management of a re-emerging plant disease

Changes in watermelon production practices throughout the world such as the reduction in fumigation with methyl bromide, increasing human population density, which reduces rotational land availability, and the spread of more virulent forms of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, have led to a resurgence in Fusarium wilt. Public research on Fusarium wilt management practices has focused on grafting, the identification of new sources for resistant rootstock germplasm, chemical control, improved understanding of suppressive soils, cover crop-induced suppression, impact of plant secondary metabolites on FUN, and the role of biological control microbes in disease suppression. Additional research on rapid identification techniques for FUN and economical methods for field level identification of FUN races will improve management of this reemerging disease. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.