Beware of Fungi Infected Pumpkin - Happy Halloween

Halloween is a fun time to create the perfect jack-o-lantern might though shop carefully because of a pumpkin fungus that can put a dent in some crops.

Black rot, the phase of the disease called gummy stem blight that infects fruit, is caused by the fungus Didymella bryoniae as the sexual stage and Phoma cucurbitacearum as the asexual stage. Black rot is the most important disease contracted during storage of squash (butternut, Hubbard, and others), pumpkin, and even gourds in the Northeast. Affected fruit may show black rot lesions in the field before harvest, collapse soon after harvest, or exhibit lesions some time later in storage.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), are members of the cucurbit family of vine plants. The Pumpkin fruit may be infected by a number of fungi, which ultimately is responsible for destruction or rotting during transport or storage.

Some important characteristics of the pumpkin due to fungal infection are, but not limited to; Anthracnose, Phytophthora blight, Black rot, Sclerotinia white and Blue mold rot etc. Mold like Botryti scinerea, Colletotrichum coccodes Cladosporium cucumerinum Choanephora cucurbitarum, Fusarium roseum, Penicillium digitatum, Phoma cucurbitacearum, Phytophthora capsici, Pythium spp and several other fungi of the Phycomycetiaceous and Dematiaceous group, can infect the pumpkin fruit.

Pumpkin are an edible fruit; however, on Halloween and other occasions this fruit is used for decorative purposes. To avoid the entry of these fungi in indoor environments, especially during Halloween, selection of healthy and uninfected pumpkins is essential. Unfavorable pumpkins can be identified and discarded with careful selection of the fruit by avoiding spots, rot, softening, odd smells, etc. of this festive fruit.
Penicillium digitatum

For additional information contact Dr. Rajiv Sahay, CIAQP, FIAS, EDLab Laboratory Director at Pure Air Control Services 727-572-4550 ext 301 for further assistance on fungi in your home or building.

About Environmental Diagnostics laboratory (EDLab):
Alan Wozniak founded Pure Air Control Services, Inc in 1984 as a small mechanical contracting firm and has since set the industry standard for indoor environmental quality diagnosis, environmental laboratory and remediation. Pure Air Control Services has serviced more than 600 million square feet of indoor environments in over 10,000 facilities.
The Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory (EDLab) (established in 1992) at Pure Air Control Services (PACS) is an AIHA accredited environmental lab offering complete and comprehensive indoor environmental microbiology laboratory services. They include: microbiology, aerobiology, chemistry, allergen assays and microscopy designed to meet all your indoor air needs. EDLab supports IAQ investigations by assisting with strategic sampling plan development and supplying media collection equipment while performing a wide range of environmental analyses.

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