Foliar diseases dramatically reduce yields. Protective and preventative fungicides are essential to protect crop foliage. These are seldom used but are some of the few fungicides labeled for pumpkin. Nematicides are expensive and rarely used in pumpkin production. Weeds Weeds reduce yields and cut quality by reducing fruit size.
Weeds compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients and also host pathogens, viruses, and insects.
The most troublesome annual weeds are pigweed, cocklebur, lance leaf sage, several annual grasses, and devils claw. Perennial weeds include johnsongrass, nutsedge, black nightshade, silverleaf nightshade. Rotations with cotton and grain crops to help control weeds. In some cases row middles are treated before vines cover the soil. While these herbicides are not FQPA-targeted during Phase 1, they are important since options for weed control are limited.