Causes and Control of Cantaloupe Postharvest Wastage in Australia. N. L. Wade, N.S.W. Department of Agriculture, CSIRO Division of Food Research, P.O. Box 52, North Ryde, N.S.W. 2113, Australia. S. C. Morris, Gosford Horticultural Postharvest Laboratory, P.O. Box 355, Gosford, N.S.W. 2250. Plant Dis. 66:549-552. Accepted for publication 21 September 1981. Copyright 1982 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-66-549.

Wastage of cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) by postharvest diseases in Australia is caused by species of Fusarium, Geotrichum, Rhizopus, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. Agar plates amended with fungicides were inoculated with isolates of each of these organisms. Benomyl, guazatine, imazalil, fenapanil (α-butyl-α-phenyl-1 H-imidazole-1-propanenitrile), sodium-o-phenylphenate, TD 5056 (2-methylsulphanil-6-nitrobenzothiazole), thiabendazole, thiram, and tridemorph reduced the growth of two or more of the test organisms by at least 90% relative to controls. Captan, dichloran, and fenaminosulf were less inhibitory but affected all or most of the test organisms. In tests with wound-inoculated fruit, benomyl controlled F. solani only. Guazatine reduced wastage due to G. candidum, Alternaria sp., F. solani, and R. oryzae. Guazatine and benomyl have potential use for the control of cantaloupe postharvest wastage.

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