Anthracnose can cause severe yield and seed quality issues in dry beans. Anthracnose is managed in part with genetic resistance, clean seed and chemical seed treatments. Locally grown seed increases the risk of a disease outbreak, and growers are encouraged to use fungicides to manage this risk. The purpose of the study was to measure fungicide performance and economic returns, with a focus on fungicides registered to control white mold in dry bean. Can one fungicide manage white mold and anthracnose?
A total of four small plot experiments were run at the Huron Research Station at Exeter Ontario between 2014-2018. Infected seed and a foliar inoculum were used to provide the initial disease infection. Overhead irrigation was used to promote disease growth. Seven fungicides were compared to an untreated control treatment. An index was developed to measure disease severity over time – as the index increased, disease increased. Seed yield (kg/ha) was adjusted to 18% moisture and return on investment ($/ha) accounted for the fungicide and application costs, with all other costs assumed to be the same.
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