Watermelon wilt disease: causes, harms, and control measures

Yaoyao Tong; Haosheng Du; Jie Xiao; Buchan Zhou; Xiaojun Zheng; Yangwu Deng; Xianqing Zheng; Ming Chen

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2025.1601130

Frontiers in Microbiology (May 2025)

Watermelon wilt disease: causes, harms, and control measures

Yaoyao Tong,
Haosheng Du,
Jie Xiao,
Buchan Zhou,
Xiaojun Zheng,
Yangwu Deng,
Xianqing Zheng,
Ming Chen

Affiliations

Yaoyao Tong: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Haosheng Du: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Jie Xiao: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Buchan Zhou: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Xiaojun Zheng: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Yangwu Deng: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Xianqing Zheng: Institute of Eco-Environment and Plant Protection, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
Ming Chen: Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control in Mining and Metallurgy, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1601130
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 16

Abstract

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Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.), a globally significant economic crop generating billions of dollars annually, faces severe production limitations due to persistent Fusarium wilt caused by continuous cropping. The disease emerges following watermelon cultivation, driven by the invasion of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, the accumulation of allelochemicals in the rhizosphere, changes in soil properties, and disruptions to the soil microbial community. These factors interact complexly, influencing plant health and soil conditions. This review examines the causes and impacts of watermelon Fusarium wilt. It explores various control strategies, including developing resistant cultivars, adjusting planting systems and agricultural practices, soil fumigation, microbial inoculants, targeted fertilization, and reductive soil disinfection. Additionally, Future wilt control may leverage nanomaterial delivery systems for precisely targeted, environmentally sustainable fungicide applications in watermelon production. This review aims to establish a scientific foundation for preventing and controlling watermelon Fusarium wilt.

Published in Frontiers in Microbiology

ISSN: 1664-302X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology

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