Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part V (2025)

Gummy stem blight is one of the most destructive diseases of cucurbitaceous crops, causing severe yield and quality losses under warm and humid conditions. The disease is primarily incited by Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum (syn. Didymella bryoniae), a necrotrophic fungal pathogen capable of infecting leaves, stems, and fruits. The present investigation was undertaken to isolate, establish pathogenicity and study the cultural behaviour of S. cucurbitacearum on different solid media under in vitro conditions. Comparative studies were conducted on five different media viz., potato dextrose agar (PDA), corn meal dextrose agar (CMDA), oat meal agar (OMA), V-8 juice agar (V-8A), and host leaf dextrose agar (HLDA) to determine their effect on mycelial growth, colony characteristics, and fructification. Colony morphology varied across media, exhibiting differences in colour and growth pattern. The study highlights PDA and HLDA as the most suitable media for culturing S. cucurbitacearum.