While not resistant to bacterial wilt, several cantaloupe varieties are likely to produce some crop even under conditions of moderate to severe wilt incidence. These include Earlisweet, Early Sugar Midget, Burpee Hybrid, Supermarket, Super Hybrid, Saticoy, Early Delicious, Dixie Jumbo and Roadside. Some species of Fusarium, a fungus, can attack most cucurbits. In many instances, however, the fungus is very specific to the hosts. Although Fusarium wilt appears to be most serious on watermelons, symptoms can occur on all hosts.
Older plants exhibit a temporary wilt which appears repeatedly in the middle of the day.
As the disease progresses, the leaves show some tip-browning and the plant eventually dies. A light brown discoloration of the internal tissue is often evident if the stem is cut near the base. During periods of wet weather, a pink-white mold may be visible on the outside of infected stems. This organism lives from season to season in plant debris or in soil. The fungus enters the growing plant through root tips, natural openings, or wounds and grows in the water-conducting tissue.