Field sanitation is important for reducing certain overwintering pests before the next growing season. Carry out sanitation practices in the field to reduce the spread of:
- Weevils. Eliminate potential sources of beans leftover in production areas such as:
- beans on or in planting hoppers or harvesters
- broken sacks of seed beans
- animal feed programs
- fields after harvest
- warehouse areas
- Diseases. Incorporate bean debris in fields infected with anthracnose (common, lima) or halo blight immediately after harvest. Plow and bury plant refuse to reduce sources of southern blight.
- Seedcorn maggots and weeds. Disc or plow after harvest, incorporating bean crop residues and destroying weed growth.
- Nematodes. Wash soil from equipment before moving from infested to noninfested fields.
For information on harvesting practices in dry beans, see:
- Blackeye bean production in California , Publication 21518.
- Common dry bean production in California , ANR Publication 8402.
- Garbanzo bean (chickpea) production in California , ANR publication 8634.
- Lima bean production in California , ANR Publication 8505.