Root rot on cucurbits can be caused by a variety of soil-borne fungal pathogens of which Rhizoctonia solani is a common issue. Severe infection of the root can cause wilting of the foliage.

The roots show characteristic discoloration which is indicative of a root-associated issue. In some cases, you can see a white fungal growth on the discolored roots.

Outer section of the roots easily sloughs off due to heavy infection. Back to back planting of cucurbits and other susceptible hosts increases risks of disease occurrence.

Comparison of healthy and infected roots. The pathogen can infect the plant at any growth stage. Free soil moisture and cooler conditions are ideal for pathogen infection.

Belly rot is a symptom with the region of the fruit that touches with the soil showing water soaked lesions. Lesions may also have crater like appearance with or without a radial crack.

Rhizoctonia spp. have hyphae (fungal strands) that show branching at close to right angles, have septa near the branching point and have a constriction near the branching point.