Initially the spots appear water soaked but soon the center dies and turns tan. Spots are superficial on fruit but may have a slight overgrowth causing bumpiness. Measles occur more commonly on smooth-skinned cucurbits harvested in fall and on heavy soil types.
Wet soils are necessary for measles to occur.
Reducing irrigations in fall has been shown to virtually eliminate measles on honeydew fruit. Either switching to alternate row irrigation after fruit set or eliminating the final irrigation will prevent the problem. The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. For noncommercial purposes only, any Web site may link directly to this page or photo file.