FIRST REPORT OF Fusarium sulawesiense CAUSING FUSARIUM WILT OF MELON MANIS TERENGGANU (Cucumis melo VAR. Inodorus CV. MANIS TERENGGANU 1) IN MALAYSIA

Fusarium wilt is a devastating disease affecting cucurbit crops worldwide and its emergence in new regions can have significant agricultural implications. This study presents the first report of Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium sulawesiense in the Melon Manis Terengganu cultivar. The fungi were identified through characteristic symptoms, pathogen isolation, and molecular confirmation. Pathogenicity tests established the virulence of F. sulawesiense. The result showed that among 18 fungi isolated at 10 parts of the plant for three seasons, fungi from the wilted plant with ID MMTF1 were primarily found in all parts of the plant every season. Fungus ID MMTF1 was confirmed by molecular identification as F. sulawesiense. Pathogenicity by seed germination indicated that severity was 100% from day one to day seven. Plant infection tests by spraying and wound inoculation showed that the F. sulawesiense spraying method caused the most rapid effect on the leaf, which became wilted and the leaf stem split compared to wound inoculation. The disease incidence (DI) study indicated that wilt and diseased vascular (stem rot) caused about 61.67% (DI) and 35.83% of plant deaths in monsoon season. This study emphasises the need for ongoing monitoring and research to safeguard the melon industry in Malaysia.