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Ridge, I think you have fusarium in your soil. They just call it root rot.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Beans_Fusarium.htm

The kind of fusarium that gets beans only gets beans, not even other legumes like peas, which i guess have their own fusarium.

It is not seedborne, only soil carries it. It can be spread by using infected plants in compost that does not heat up enough. It can even be carried over in manure if the animals that made the manure ate infected plants. I don't think I've ever had it in my garden. knock on wood.

Sometimes the plant can survive.
 
So nothing I can do but wait? I guess I should mulch the survivors now and maybe bring in some clean soil to build up around the base to maybe get those side roots growing.

Will it be safe to send these seeds to Russ if any make it? Im real nervous about that right now. Id feel bad about not fulfilling my end of the contract but a lot worse if I introduce it to him. The best thing may be for me to destroy the few plants I have and put them in the trash so they go to the dump before I generate a lot of plant material. Ill PM Russ in a few minutes.

I grew beans there last year without a problem, Dr. Martin's pole limas. I forget where I got the seeds, some commercial place. I did amend the soil with a bag of commercial mushroom compost, which should mean composted horse manure. Thats the only methods of infection I can think of. I just havent seen that before.

Ill clean and sanitize my tools, of course. Its in a very isolated spot. Thats why I chose it to propagate the beans for seeds. Sounds like I grow something else in this spot for about 6 years.

Thanks.
 
Hi Ridgerunner !


I would say if you want to dispose of what appear to be the infected plants. I'll let that be your call. If you finish growing out any of the other plants that are left and they appear not to have been affected perhaps you could send back seed from them. If in the end you feel unfortable about sending back seed from any of the grow out. I'm not going to get upset. Better to be safe than sorry. Lets just see how things progress in this growing season for you.
 
As much as I hate to disagree with Marshall, and I will defer to him when it comes to most things beans, I have to disagree here. I don't think that's fusarium. In fact, I think it's probably seedcorn maggots. The hollow stem gives it away. Before pulling all of the plants, try a bit of ground insect killer. I have seen what you are showing many, many times. You may be able to find one or two of them if you split the stems open, but not always.
 
Did you guys read the website I posted? It says that bean rot fusarium is not carried by the seeds. Seeds do not carry the pathogen, only soil and manure carry the disease.

About what Monty says, here is a website:

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/cpr/entomology/seed-corn-maggot-damage-observed-in-dry-beans-6-30-11

It does look like seedcorn maggot damage too. Have your garden conditions been cool and wet Ridge? Cool, wet, and highly organic enriched soil are the conditions these maggots like and prosper in.

Go ahead and read the website I posted about fusarium and read this website about seedcorn maggots. Those autopsy photos of dead young bean plants do look similar for fusarium and seedcorn maggots.

Looks like these blasted maggots start in on the seed shortly after planting the seed and then burrow into the sprouts. They like their bean sprouts. This ndsu site says there is no treatment once the maggots have started killing plants. It does suggest treating the seeds before planting to prevent the maggot infestation.

So, good call Monty. Now I hope Ridge will look at both websites and be able to decide which problem he's having.

So far I'm having no major problems with my beans. They are in various stages of flowering for the most part, and small beans are on more and more plants each day.

Chickasaw is turning out to be a vigorous at least half runner and is over 2 feet tall on average so far. Louisiana Red Kidney is winning the race so far this year for first ripe pods, unless Vermont Appaloossa ripens pods faster. PXBT sure has beautiful plants, bush, with nice lavender flowers, and looks kind of like there was a purple podded ancestor in its development. Just something about the stem color. Little Brown Cat is flowering so very heavily! I think she's going for the production of the most pods award! Dalmatian filled in the patch rapidly and is starting to bloom, and has the look of strong plants that will produce pods all season. Same with Buckskin Girl! Piros Feher and Dapple Grey are both acting like midseason producers. Each patch has a couple plants flowering ahead of the others. I believe I will separately save at least a few seeds from those quickest plants in those 2 varieties.

Black Coco is flowering nicely with pastel violet flowers. The Coco Rubico I planted later will soon get to flowering stage.

The Stars group I started indoors has for the most part been passed in the race up the twine by Nova Star.

Russ, Nova Star is a very vigorous pole bean. One plant in particular has set flower cluster after flower cluster already, ahead of the others. I will separately save seeds from that plant. (I call it "envelope them", put seeds separately in an envelope). Very white flowers.
 
I was late getting my beans in. they're doing fine, but no blossoms yet. we're getting into hot now - hope they've got time.
 
I've been very much a hurting unit lately. My teeth are going bad on me, the few I have left, and have no way to get to the dentist soon unless I can get a ride into town and then back. I actually have 3 toothaches, at least one is infected, and the gland under my jaw on the right side is swollen painfully. I will get a ride into town very soon, maybe monday. I'm on my physical reserves right now, and day after tomorrow is our annual general camper's meeting that I must rise to the occasion for. Wish me luck. I do have a 1992 Ford Explorer lined up for purchasing if all goes well. My old faithful ford fairmont futura 4 door 1981 finally passed on with nobility, at home after getting me home one last time. She never failed to get me home to the last. What a wonderful car she was. Over 314,000 miles on her original 200 cubic inch straight 6 motor. Not easy and nice miles either, but miles over rough, hard, dusty, mountain and canyon roads.
 
I read that site Marshall but was trying to be extra cautious on the seeds transmitting the disease. I dont always totally trust these sites as being all-inclusive. I try to be extra-cautious. Thats why I asked the experts.

My conditions earlier were cool and wet earlier. I did put 80 pounds of compost in there. That meets the requirements for that maggot. When I split the bean stem, I did not see any maggots though. I did look. Other than the maggot, that photo was dead on.

In my main garden Ive had a couple of corn plants just die for no apparent reason. I figured a vole had probably tunneled there. I havent really noticed anything else doing that, but yeah, that sounds like it could be that seed corn maggot.

It sounds like it is too late to treat for the maggot. It is now officially hot and dry. Ill just carry on and see how it goes. Cleaning and sterilizing any equipment and such used there and destroying any bean vegetation from there will be standard this year. And the next few years something other than beans will be planted there.

Thanks for the help.

Marshall, get your teeth fixed. That is important. Bad teeth make you miserable.
 
Hi Ridge !

I don't have an alternate Jeminez, and the seed you would get out of them are not critical. So no need to fret over this situation at all.
 
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