Learn what to look for when scouting for cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), the newest cucurbit disease.

Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) was first detected in California in 2019 and Florida in 2020, the two biggest states for growing watermelons. This latest cucurbit disease is spreading rapidly, according to a Growing Produce article. Exacerbating the issue is that symptoms of CCYV closely mimic the symptoms of cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), a different disease to affect plants from the gourd family. See what symptoms to look for when scouting for CCYV.

Scouting for the CCYV Cucurbit Disease

According to the article, the CCYV cucurbit disease can affect melon, watermelon, and cucumber. It is spread by an insect vector, Whiteflies, biotypes B and Q, feeding on infected plants and then infecting new plants when the flies feed again.

Symptoms to look for include:

  • “Chlorotic spots that coalesce into larger areas of interveinal chlorosis”
  • Veins remain green “in most cucurbitaceous hosts”
  • Severe leaf yellowing

Treatment is focused on controlling the vector, feeding whiteflies. Unfortunately, the article maintains early studies from USDA ARS found “CYSDV-resistant plants were not significantly effective to control CCYV,” though “USDA ARS scientists found some resistance against CCYV in melon, and breeding efforts are in progress to incorporate resistance into new varieties.”

Treatment recommendations include:

  • Management of whitefly vectors, with insecticide treatments applied to seedlings 1 to 3 days prior to transplanting
  • Timely removal of reservoir hosts

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