A new fungus is attacking the seedless version of an iconic summer fruit.

Some farmers are losing up to 50-percent of their seedless watermelon crops to fusarium. It’s a fungus that lives in the soil and attacks the roots according to UGA plant pathologist David Langston.

“Watermelon roots grow and proliferate in the soil. They come in contact with that fusarium and when they come in contact with that fusarium they become infected and then the fusarium attacks that root back towards the crown and eventually kills the whole plant.”

Langston says seedless watermelon lack resistance and are more vulnerable to disease. The fungus is hard to fight because it can survive the fields up to seven years and farmers don’t rotate their crops that often.

Scientists are working to develop heartier seedless varieties and better fungicides but it could be awhile. Farmers here grow 30-thousand acres of watermelon every year.

Tags: Georgia agriculture, Fusarium Wilt, watermelons