March 29, 2001

Dry Bean Anthracnose Clarification

The statement that was previously reported in the Northarvest Bean Grower magazine (March-April 2001) on bean anthracnose needs clarification, according to Art Lamey, NDSU extension plant pathologist and Duane Berglund, NDSU extension agronomist. The article stated that Michigan grown dry bean seed be avoided. Recent information indicates that Michigan has a zero tolerance for bean anthracnose and the law in place is strictly enforced by the Michigan Department of Agriculture based on both a field inspection and a seed grow-out test for anthracnose on all susceptible cultivars. With this strict enforcement in Michigan, bean seed found to be infected with anthracnose cannot be certified and sold as seed. Therefore it should be safe to purchase and plant Michigan bean seed if it is certified and has passed all field inspections and lab tests according to Lamey and Berglund.

The majority of the Michigan dry bean seed sold into the Northarvest Bean growing region is of certified class and therefore should be anthracnose free. Dark Red Kidney and Light Red Kidney beans are the primary class of seed from Michigan sold into the Northarvest area. The seed production region for Kidneys in Michigan is fairly isolated in the northern regions of the state and well away from commercial bean growing areas of Southern Michigan which are reported to have anthracnose.

Lamey and Berglund indicated all Dark Red Kidney bean varieties produced in Michigan should be free of anthracnose since the varieties possess one or two effective resistance genes and all dark red kidney seed is tested by Michigan Department of Agriculture to verify that the certified seed is free from anthracnose prior to sale.

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Source: Duane Berglund, (701) 231-8135, dberglun@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Art Lamey, (701) 231-7056, alamey@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, Richard_Mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu