Causal Agent:
Soft Rot - Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora, Pseudomonas species and several other bacteria. 
Brown Spot - Erwinia ananas. 
Bacterial Rind Necrosis - Erwinia carnegieana

Distribution:
Worldwide

Symptoms:
Soft Rot - At first a soft, watersoaked area of the fruit is affected which develops very quickly into a complete softening and watery breakdown of the entire fruit. Soft rot often follows a physiological disorder, such as poor pollination, or other fruit rot diseases. 
Brown Spot - Occurs on honeydew melon and causes yellow-brown, smooth, firm lesions up to 4 cm in diameter. 
Bacterial Rind Necrosis - Generally occurs in either cantaloupe or watermelon as dead, hard, dry, reddish-brown to brown spots or patches of tissue in the fruit rind. Affected areas vary in size from 3mm spots to extensive dead areas throughout the entire rind. In watermelon the symptoms are not visible from the outside and are rarely found in the flesh. Cantaloupe differs from watermelon in that the dead tissue may extend into the flesh of the fruit. Furthermore, in cantaloupe, circular, watersoaked depressions develop on the fruit surface.

Brown Spot.                                             Soft Rot.

Bacterial Rind Necrosis.

Conditions for Disease Development:
Soft Rot - Occurs most commonly under hot and wet or humid conditions. Fruit affected by another disease, such as angular leaf spot, anthracnose or blossom end rot can be attacked by the soft rot bacterium. Wounds created during harvesting or packing can also be sites for soft rot to develop. 
Brown Spot - Develops under similar conditions as bacterial soft rot. 
Bacterial Rind Necrosis - Is not well understood. However, it is thought that environmental conditions which place stress on the plants may trigger the onset of disease. Some varieties are less susceptible to rind necrosis than others.

Control:
Losses due to soft rot can be reduced by harvesting carefully to avoid injury and by cooling fruit quickly after harvest. Use chlorinated fruit dips or sprays in packing houses. Measures should be taken to keep fruit cool and to eliminate bruising, puncturing and mechanical damage in order to reduce soft rot.