Research
Melcast results for 2004


ISU Horticulture Farm (Gilbert, IA)

The severity of anthracnose was estimated on the basis of percentage of leaf area exhibiting disease.  The Melcast disease warning system suggested only one spray during the season for the on-site weather data, the remote-estimated weather data (SkyBit, Inc.), and corrected SkyBit data.  For weekly and bi-weekly spray schedules there were 3 or 6 sprays throughout the summer.  There were two applications for treatments using Melcast, indicating that the Melcast system used with any source of weather data saved several sprays.  Compared to the non-sprayed control, all treatments had significantly lower disease.  However, this did not result in an increase in the number or weight of marketable melons. 

 

Rate

Spray

Number of

%

# of marketable

Marketable

Treatment

per A

frequency

Sprays

Disease

melons (/ plot) z

Yield (lb/plot) z

Non-treated control

---

---

0

23.3  a

16.5

42.0

Bravo Ultrex 82.5WG

1.8 lb

Melcast y

2

2.3  c

16.5

41.3

Bravo Ultrex 82.5WG

1.8 lb

Melcast x

2

3.0  c

17.5

44.9

Bravo Ultrex 82.5WG

1.8 lb

 Melcast w

2

9.0  bc

20.5

50.5

Serenade WP

8.0 lb

7-day

6

6.8  bc

17.0

42.2

Kaligreen 82 WP

4.0 lb

7-day

6

13.8  b

20.5

51.0

Bravo Ultrex 82.5WG

1.8 lb

7-day

6

8.0  bc

17.5

48.1

Bravo Ultrex 82.5WG

1.8 lb

14-day

3

7.1  bc

16.8

42.5

LSD (0.05)v

 

 

 

7.5

n.s.

n.s.

z Values calculated from four 25-ft. plots  
y Using on-site weather data
x
Using SkyBit weather estimates
w
Using corrected SkyBit weather estimates modified with CART (Kim, K.-S. et al., Plant Disease 86:179-185).
v Means followed by identical letter are not statistically different according to Fisher's protected least significant difference when P=0.05.