Edward J. Sikora, Extension Plant Pathologist Plant Disease Notes Bacterial Wilt of Cucurbits Bacterial wilt, caused by the bacterium Erwinia tracheiphila, is a destructive disease of plants belonging to the cucumber family. Although bacterial wilt is most common on cucumber and cantaloupe, it can also infect squash, pumpkins, and a number of wild cucurbit plants. Watermelons and most gourds are highly resistant to the disease.
Bacterial wilt is characterized initially by wilting and drying of individual leaves.
Within 1 to 2 days the wilting symptoms spread to leaves up and down a runner. The bacteria spread from infected runners to the main stem and then to other runners with the entire plant eventually collapsing. Then touch a clean knife blade to the cut surface and slowly withdraw the blade from the stem. Watch for a white ooze that strings out in a fine thread between the newly cut stem surface and the knife blade. Take two recently cut stem sections from near the crown of a recently wilted vine.