Bean

Diseases

Insect/Mite Pests

Abiotic Problems on Bean


(Click on photo to enlarge)

Diseases

Alfalfa mosaic

Disease: Alfalfa mosaic
Pathogen: Alfalfa mosaic virus

Alfalfa mosaic on bean plant
Photo Source: G.Q. Pelter

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Alternaria leaf and pod spot

Common name: Alternaria leaf and pod spot
CauseAlternaria species, including A. alternata (synonym A. tenuis), A. brassicae f. phaseoli, and A. brassicicola.
Host Crops: Various types of bean.

Alternaria leaf spot symptoms on bean leaves
Alternaria leaf spot symptoms.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University Extension
Alternaria leaf spot symptoms on the bottom of a bean leaf
Alternaria leaf spot symptoms.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University Extension
Alternaria symptoms-1
Alternaria leaf spot symptoms.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University Extension
Alternaria leaf spot-2
Symptoms of Alternaria leaf spot on a lima bean leaf held up to a light.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University

Online Resources:

  • Fungal Leaf Spots, Bean IPM, Legume ipmPIPE Diagnostic Series, H.F. Schwartz (Colorado State University) and S.K.Mohan (University of Idaho).
  • Alternaria Leaf and Pod Spot of Snap Bean in Florida, Shouan Zhang, Aaron J. Palmateer, Ken Pernezny, and R. T. McMillan, Jr., U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
  • Alternaria leaf spot of faba beans, Grains Research and Development Corp., State Government of Victoria, AU.

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Anthracnose

Disease: Anthracnose
PathogenColletotrichum lindemuthianum

bean anthracnose on beans
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
anthracnose symptoms on beans
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
Severe bean anthracnose symptoms-2
Severe bean anthracnose symptoms associated with seedborne infection and transmission.
Photo Source: Brook Brouwer, Washington State University
symptoms of bean anthracnose on a bean leaf
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
symptoms of bean anthracnose on beans plant root
Photo Source: Karen Ward, WSU Pullman Plant Diagnostician
anthracnose on beans
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
bean anthracnose results damage to bean leaf
Photo Source: Karen Ward, WSU Pullman Plant Diagnostician
symptoms of bean anthracnose on beans
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
Bean anthracnose lesions-1
Bean anthracnose lesions on the abaxial surface of a bean leaf.
Photo Source: Brook Brouwer, Washington State University

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Bacterial brown spot

Disease: Bacterial brown spot
PathogensPseudomonas syringae pv. syringae
Host crops: Bean crops (including snap beans, lima beans, and dry beans), vetch, and several leguminous weeds. Lima beans are more susceptible than snap green beans. Strains of P. syringae that infect fruit crops do not cause brown spot on bean. The pathogen can be seedborne in bean.

bean bacterial brown spot on leaves
Symptoms of brown spot on bean leaves and/or pods caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Pod lesions can be associated with sites of insect feeding injury, e.g., from lygus bugs.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
Water soaked symptoms on bean pod
Watersoaked symptoms along the suture of a bean pod caused by the brown spot bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
close up view of brown spot symptoms on on a bean leaf
Symptoms of brown spot on bean leaves caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.
Photo Source: Phil Miklas, USDA ARS bean breeder
brown spot on bean leaves and pods
Symptoms of brown spot on bean leaves and/or pods caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Pod lesions can be associated with sites of insect feeding injury, e.g., from lygus bugs.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
brown spot bacterial pathogen
Lesions along the stems and petioles of bean plants caused by the brown spot bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
Bacterial brown spot symptoms
Symptoms of brown spot on bean leaves and/or pods caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Pod lesions can be associated with sites of insect feeding injury, e.g., from lygus bugs.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
brown spot bacterial pathogen results Lesions
Lesions along the stems and petioles of bean plants caused by the brown spot bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
Bacterial brown spot on beans
Symptoms of brown spot on bean leaves and/or pods caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. Pod lesions can be associated with sites of insect feeding injury, e.g., from lygus bugs.
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter, USDA ARS plant pathologist
damaged bean leaf
Symptoms of brown spot on bean leaves caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.
Photo Source: Phil Miklas, USDA ARS bean breeder

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Bean common mosaic

Disease: Bean common mosaic
PathogenBean common mosaic virus (BCMV)

symptoms of bean common mosaic on bean leaves
Photo of symptoms of bean common mosaic virus on bean leaves.
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
Severe stunting on a bean plant
Severe stunting and leaf cupping associated with seedborne BCMV.
Photo Source: Brook Brouwer, Washington State University
infected bean leaf and dark green areas
Leaf cupping as well as banded light and dark green areas on a bean leaf infected with BCMV.
Photo Source: Brook Brouwer, Washington State University

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Common bacterial blight

Disease: Common bacterial blight
PathogenXanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli
Host crops: Edible beans crops and bean seed crops (including snap beans, lima beans, and dry beans)

Common bacterial blight-1
Common bacterial blight on pods.
Photo Source: Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University
Common bacterial blight-2
Mature common bacterial blight lesions.
Photo Source: Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University
Common bacterial blight-3
Water-soaked lesions of common bacterial blight.
Photo Source: Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University

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Curly top

Disease: Curly top
PathogenBeet curly top virus (BCTV), vectored by the beet leafhopper Circulifer tenellus
Host crops: Numerous plant species including many vegetables such as bean, beet, carrot, eggplant
coriander, pepper, potatotomato, various cucurbits such as squashcucumberpumpkinwatermelon, etc.

Beet curly top virus symptoms
Beet curly top virus on bean.
Photo Source: Phil Hamm
symptoms of curly top virus of bean plant
Symptoms of curly top virus of bean.
Photo Source: Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho
symptoms of curly top of bean
Symptoms of curly top virus of bean.
Photo Source: Lindsey J. du Toit
curly top-1
A cranberry bean plant infected with curly top.
Photo Source: Carrie Wohleb, Washington State University
symptoms of curly top of a bean plant
Symptoms of curly top virus of bean.
Photo Source: Lindsey J. du Toit
curly top-2
A pinto bean plant infected with curly top.
Photo Source: Carrie Wohleb, Washington State University
curly top of bean crop
Symptoms of curly top virus of bean.
Photo Source: Lindsey J. du Toit

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Fusarium root rot

Disease: Fusarium root rot
PathogenFusarium solani

Fusarium root rot on bean root
Photo Source: G.Q. Pelter

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Gray mold

Disease: Gray mold
PathogenBotrytis cinerea

gray mold on bean pods
Gray mold on Hercules garden beans. Note the watersoaked lesion on one bean pod, and brown-gray sporulation of Botrytis cinerea on a severely symptomatic bean pod.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb

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Halo blight

Disease: Halo blight
PathogenPseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola

Haol blight on bean
Photo Source: D.A. Inglis
water-soaked lesion on underside of bean leaf
Water-soaked lesion on the underside of a bean leaf. Note the yellow ‘halo’ around the small, necrotic lesion.
Photo Source: Carrie Wohleb, WSU Extension Educator, Grant and Adams Counties
Halo blight symptoms-1
Halo blight symptoms on a bean leaf.
Photo Source: Carrie Wohleb, WSU Extension Educator, Grant and Adams Counties
severe halo blight
Severe foliar symptoms of halo blight.
Photo Source: Carrie Wohleb, WSU Extension Educator, Grant and Adams Counties
reddish-brown lesions on bean leaves
Reddish-brown lesions and yellow halos on bean leaves infected with halo blight.
Photo Source: Carrie Wohleb, WSU Extension Educator, Grant and Adams Counties

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Pythium blight

Disease: Pythium blight (also known as cottony leak or Pythium leak)
PathogenPythium species
Host Crops: When bean plants are under excessive irrigation, or during cool and/or prolonged periods of moist conditions, Pythium spp. may colonize the stems, branches, and even pods of bean plants, resulting in a water-soaked rot of the affected tissues, accompanied by fluffy, white, aerial mycelium of the pathogen. The disease may be mistaken for early stages of white mold caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, but microscopic examination readily enables differentiation of the two diseases/pathogens.

Pythium blight on a bean crop
Symptoms of Pythium blight in a bean crop caused by Pythium ultimum.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University
Pythium blight symptoms-1
Colonization of the stem of a garden bean plant by Pythium ultimum under very humid/moist conditions.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University
garden bean plant caused by Pythium ultimum
Symptoms of Pythium blight on a garden bean plant caused by Pythium ultimum under humid/moist conditions.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University
garden bean stem having White mycelium
White mycelium of Pythium ultimum on a garden bean stem.
Photo Source: Lindsey J. du Toit, Washington State University

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Pythium root rot

Disease: Pythium root rot
PathogenPythium species

Pythium root rot on a bean plant
Photo Source: G.Q. Pelter

On-Line Resources:

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White mold

Disease: White mold
PathogenSclerotinia sclerotiorum
Host crops: Bean, various brassica vegetables, carrot, eggplant, lettucepotatotomato, etc.

white mold on bean pod
Flower and leaf infection.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit
bean white mold symptoms-1
Sclerotia on flowers and stem.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit
white mold on bean
Photo Source: Lyndon Porter
white mold on bean pod
Early pod infection.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit
bean white mold symptoms-2
Mycelium on pod.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit
bean white mold
Sclerotia on beans.
Photo Source: Jordan Eggers
white mold on green bean
Photo Source: G.Q. Pelter
bean white mold symptoms-3
Stem infection.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit
White mold
Photo Source: Jordan Eggers

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Insect/Mite Pests

Seedcorn maggot

Disease: Seedcorn maggot
Pathogen: Delia platura
Host Crops: Many vegetable crops including snap, kidney, and lima beans, onion, corn, turnip, pea, cabbage, and cucurbits. They cause the most damage in spring to newly emerging seedlings.

seedcorn maggot damage on bean plant
Seedcorn maggot injury to bean leaves.
Photo Source: Tim Waters, WSU Extension Educator for Benton and Franklin Counties
Seedcorn maggot larvae-1
Seedcorn maggot larvae.
Photo Source: Tim Waters, WSU Extension Educator for Benton and Franklin Counties
seedcorn maggot fly on soil-1
Seedcorn maggot fly on soil.
Photo Source: Tim Waters, WSU Extension Educator for Benton and Franklin Counties
Seedcorn maggot fly-1
Seedcorn maggot fly.
Photo Source: Tim Waters, WSU Extension Educator for Benton and Franklin Counties

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Spider mites

Common name: Spider mites
Latin binomialTetranychus spp. including two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), strawberry spider mite (Tetranychus turkestani), and Pacific spider mite (Tetranychus pacificus)
Host crops: Wide host range, including many vegetables such as bean, carrot, potato, etc.

Severe spider mite infestation-1
Severe spider mite infestation in an adzuki bean crop. Note the silvering of the lower leaf surface and white stippling on the upper surface of some leaves from a very dense population of spider mites feeding on these leaves.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
bean leaves fed by a spider mites
Severe spider mite infestation in an adzuki bean crop. Note the silvering of the lower leaf surface and white stippling on the upper surface of some leaves from a very dense population of spider mites feeding on these leaves.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
silvering of the lower leaf surface
Severe spider mite infestation in an adzuki bean crop. Note the silvering of the lower leaf surface and white stippling on the upper surface of some leaves from a very dense population of spider mites feeding on these leaves.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
A colony of spider mites on snap beans-1
A colony of spider mites on snap beans.
Photo Source: Silvia Rondon, Oregon State University
Eggs of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae.
Two-spotted spider mite adult and eggs on a potato leaf.
Photo Source: Silvia Rondon, Oregon State University
twospotted-spider-mite
Eggs of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae.
Photo Source: Silvia Rondon, Oregon State University

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Thrips

Common name: Thrips, including western flower thrips, onion thrips, and other species.
Latin binomial: Various thrips including Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips) and Thrips tabaci (onion thrips).
Host crops: Numerous plant species including many vegetables such as basilbroccolicabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, onion, potatopumpkinsquashtomato and watermelon.

Bean thrips injuury-1
Downward cupping of bean leaves and other leaf distortion as a result of severe thrips infestation.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
severe thrips infestation
Downward cupping of bean leaves and other leaf distortion as a result of severe thrips infestation.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
Silvering and stippling
Silvering/stippling and browning of veins on the lower bean leaf surface as a result of severe thrips feeding injury.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
Thrips on bottom side on bean leaf
Silvering/stippling and browning of veins on the lower bean leaf surface as a result of severe thrips feeding injury.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
bean thrips injury-2
Silvering/stippling and browning of veins on the lower bean leaf surface as a result of severe thrips feeding injury.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University

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Wireworm

Common name (of damaging stage): Wireworm (adults are called click beetles or snapping beetles)
Latin binomialCtenicera spp. and Limonius spp. Several kinds of wireworms are in the Pacific Northwest. Wireworms causing the most damage in irrigated areas are the Pacific Coast wireworm (Limonius canus), the sugar beet wireworm (L. californicus), the western field wireworm (L. infuscatus), and the Columbia Basin wireworm (L. subauratus). The Pacific Coast and sugar beet wireworms are the most common. Where annual rainfall is <15 inches, the Great Basin wireworm (Ctenicera pruinina) may be a problem, especially when irrigated crops are grown on sagebrush or dry wheat land. This species usually disappears after a few years of irrigation, but may be replaced by Limonius spp. which are favored by moist conditions. West of the Cascades, other wireworm species are pests, including Agriotes spp.
Host crops: All crops are susceptible to wireworm, but this pest is most destructive on
beans, carrot, corn, grain, onionpotatoesspinach seed crops, and other annual crops in the PNW.

wireworm adult
Adult wireworm is commonly known as a click beetle. Beetle size 3/8 to 1/2 inch (8–12 mm).
Photo Source: David Horton, USDA-ARS, Wapato
dark orange wireworm larva
Wireworm larva is dark orange or brown and mature larvae are 3/8 to 1/2 inch in length.
Photo Source: David Horton, USDA-ARS, Wapato
monitoring wireworm density
Wireworm larvae density can be monitored with oatmeal bait.
Photo Source: David Horton, USDA-ARS, Wapato
Wireworm larvae
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
click beetle-1
A click beetle of the species Agriotes obscurus, the larvae of which are wireworms.
Photo Source: Oregon State University –Oregon State Arthropod Collection.
click beetle-2
A click beetle of the species Limonius californicus, the larvae of which are wireworms.
Photo Source: Oregon State University – Oregon State Arthropod Collection.
click beetle-3
A click beetle of the species Limonius canus, the larvae of which are wireworms.
Photo Source: Oregon State University – Oregon State Arthropod Collection.

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Abiotic Problems on Bean

Crumpled leaf 

Common name: Crumpled leaf or LCR
Cause: A genetic disorder or trait called crumpled leaf or LCR caused by an incompatible developmental reaction when beans from different centers of domestication are crossed, e.g., in crosses of Mesoamerican bush blue lake materials with Andean Midwestern types of beans.
Host Crops: Various types of beans resulting from crosses of different races of beans.

symptoms of LCR on bean leaf
Foliar chlorosis and necrosis resulting from a genetic disorder called crumpled leaf, a genetic trait called crumpled leaf or LCR caused by an incompatible developmental reaction when beans from different centers of domestication are crossed, e.g., crosses of Mesoamerican bush blue lake materials with Andean Midwestern types of beans. Symptoms can resemble those caused by virus infections. Lines with the trait may vary in intensity of expression, and the expression can vary over the season.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
Crumpled leaf symptoms
Foliar chlorosis and necrosis resulting from a genetic disorder called crumpled leaf, a genetic trait called crumpled leaf or LCR caused by an incompatible developmental reaction when beans from different centers of domestication are crossed, e.g., crosses of Mesoamerican bush blue lake materials with Andean Midwestern types of beans. Symptoms can resemble those caused by virus infections. Lines with the trait may vary in intensity of expression, and the expression can vary over the season.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
LCR results genetic disorder on a bean leaf
Foliar chlorosis and necrosis resulting from a genetic disorder called crumpled leaf, a genetic trait called crumpled leaf or LCR caused by an incompatible developmental reaction when beans from different centers of domestication are crossed, e.g., crosses of Mesoamerican bush blue lake materials with Andean Midwestern types of beans. Symptoms can resemble those caused by virus infections. Lines with the trait may vary in intensity of expression, and the expression can vary over the season.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University

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Herbicide Injury

Common name: Injury from various types of herbicides can result from drift, residual carryover in soil or planting material, excessive rates of application, overlap in applications, etc.
Cause: Various types of herbicides can cause injury to bean plants.
Host Crops: This depends on the specific herbicide. For example, most broadleaf plants are susceptible to injury by 2,4-D.

Symptoms of injured bean crop
Symptoms of injury from drift of the herbicide 2,4-D into a bean crop.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University
injured pinto bean crop field
Severe injury to a pinto bean crop from Outlook, an acetanilide herbicide. Notice the unifoliate leaves typically are asymptomatic, whereas the trifoliate leaves have a puckered, drawstring appearance. Injury from Outlook can be affected by soil texture, compaction, temperature, etc., resulting in non-uniform distribution of symptomatic plants in a field.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
pinto bean plant
Severe injury to a pinto bean crop from Outlook, an acetanilide herbicide. Notice the unifoliate leaves typically are asymptomatic, whereas the trifoliate leaves have a puckered, drawstring appearance. Injury from Outlook can be affected by soil texture, compaction, temperature, etc., resulting in non-uniform distribution of symptomatic plants in a field.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
Herbicide Injury on a pinto bean plant
Severe injury to a pinto bean crop from Outlook, an acetanilide herbicide. Notice the unifoliate leaves typically are asymptomatic, whereas the trifoliate leaves have a puckered, drawstring appearance. Injury from Outlook can be affected by soil texture, compaction, temperature, etc., resulting in non-uniform distribution of symptomatic plants in a field.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University

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Air pollution/ozone injury

Common name: Air pollution or ozone injury
Cause: During very hot conditions, combined with the presence of excessive air particulate matter, e.g., from wildfires, symptoms of air pollution and/or ozone injury have been observed in multiple bean fields in central Washington, particularly in adzuki bean crops.
Host Crops: Various types of beans, but adzuki beans seem to be particularly susceptible.

ozone or air pollution injury
Possible symptoms of ozone or air pollution injury to adzuki beans.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University Extension
bean pollution injury symptoms
Possible symptoms of ozone or air pollution injury to adzuki beans.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University Extension
Air pollution/ozone injury on a bean plant
Possible symptoms of ozone or air pollution injury to adzuki beans.
Photo Source: Carrie H. Wohleb, Washington State University Extension
bean pollution injury symptoms-2
Symptoms of air pollution and possible ozone injury in a bean crop.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
injured bean leaves by air pollution
Symptoms of air pollution and possible ozone injury in a bean crop.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University
injured bean plant leaves by air pollution
Symptoms of air pollution and possible ozone injury in a bean crop.
Photo Source: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University

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