How to Manage Pests

Fusarium root rot on beans—Fusarium solani

Plants infected with Fusarium solani wilt and turn yellow. Brick red lesions of variable size with diffuse margins develop on belowground stems and tap roots. The red color gradually turns brown with age. In severe infections, the entire root system may be attacked and destroyed. If the surface of the lesion is scraped away, small red flecks can be seen in affected tissue. Plants wilt and turn yellow.

Solutions

The fungus that causes Fusarium wilt can survive in the soil for many years. Wilt diseases can be avoided in many cases by planting tolerant cultivars. When growing susceptible plants, problems sometimes can be reduced by rotating crops, following good sanitation practices, and using soil solarization.

Brick red lesions on bean roots