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Abstract
Commercial production of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) is adversely affected by soil-borne pathogens, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON) and southern root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita). We studied if micronutrient manipulation could induce systemic resistance in FON and RKN pathosystems. Expression of defense genes in salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-pathway was significantly affected with Fe, Mn and Zn manipulation. RNA-seq revealed multiple differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in plants that were treated with high concentration of Zn. These DEGs were enriched in hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathway suggesting potential induction of systemic resistance. Further, the efficacy of fumigant and soil-applied fungicides were evaluated for the management of FON under field conditions. Our results showed that the fumigant Pic-clor 60 at 336.26 kg/ha when applied in combination with either prothioconazole (Proline, Bayer Crop Science) or pydiflumetofen (Miravis, Syngenta) resulted in significant reduction of disease incidence. Overall, the results of these studies can be incorporated in time into the integrated disease management options for watermelon against FON and RKN.