Influence of Contaminated Crop Remains and Seed Health Quality on the Intensity of Bean Anthracnose

Abstract

Bean anthracnose, caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, is a major seed borne disease of beans, interfering with the progress of the disease timeline. Work involving the study of cultural remains are scarce. The effects of different incidences of that pathogen in seeds in combination with cultivating areas with and without contaminated crop remains were evaluated on the anthracnose incidence and severity and on yield. In the trial set up in December 2009 the cultivation of bean in area with contaminated crop remains had greater progress for both incidence and severity of the disease compared with the area without crop remains. There was interaction between infection levels in seeds with or without contaminated crop remains in both growing areas. In the trial set up in April 2010 progress of anthracnose was similar in both growing areas. Grain yield was higher in the area without crop remains in both trials. The results of this work showed that the behavior of anthracnose under field conditions differ among areas studied (with and without crop residues) and also due to the environmental conditions of a planting to another.