Manitoba bean growers have spotted a disease that once caused a big headache for the Ontario dry bean industry.
Anthracnose has been detected in a few fields in the Winkler area, but officials say it’s nothing to be alarmed about.
The fungal disease appears to be isolated in that area of the province and those fields have been under a spraying program for the past 10 days.
Weather conditions are such that it is highly unlikely the disease will spread.
“If it stays dry like this, it’s probably going to be non-existent,” said Don Sissons, president of the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association.
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Extensive scouting of fields in his area of the province near Portage la Prairie has turned up no signs of the disease.
That doesn’t mean growers should relax. The association encourages bean producers to look early and often on the underside of leaves to spot initial disease symptoms of sunken, purple streaks on leaf veins.
Sissons said it’s critical for growers to stay on top of the potential problem. Sudden and severe outbreaks of anthracnose caused serious setbacks in the growth of Ontario’s bean industry in 1976 and 1993. It also made an appearance in 2003.
It’s a disease capable of causing yield losses of more than 70 percent in bean fields. It can also lead to a major downgrade in crop quality.
“If we allow the disease to get established here, then we’re going to really destroy our reputation as a bean producing area,” said Sissons.
This year’s outbreak is in a highly concentrated bean growing region of the province known for pushing rotations. It was determined that the seed in the infected fields had not been treated prior to planting.
The fields have since been sprayed with fungicide. Headline and Quadris are the two chemicals registered for anthracnose control in Saskatchewan.
If other bean growers identify the disease, they should follow suit, spraying their crop in the early bloom stage.
A second application may be required in 10-14 days if the infection remains. Plant tissue should be thoroughly covered with chemical.
Producers cannot totally rely on the newly registered foliar fungicides. They still need to use varieties resistant to commonly found anthracnose strains, apply treatments to control seed-borne anthracnose and leave a rotation of at least three years between bean crops.
“You’re producing a quality bean for edible markets, so you’ve really got to be on top of it,” said Sissons.
