Results of three years of field and greenhouse studies on the effects of the fungicides azoxystyrobin, carbendazin, mancozeb, tebuconazole, fentinhydroxide, pyraclostrobin, tryfloxistrobin + cyproconazole, tryfloxistrobin + propiconazol and chlorotalonil on the epidemiology of bean web blight and bean yields are reported. Field experiments were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates. In 2004/05, fungicides were applied only once, 45 after planting (DAP); in 2005/06, there were two applications at 30 and 45 DAP, and in the 2006/07 field season, three applications were made, at 30, 45 and 60 DAP. Disease severity was estimated weekly, with aid of a 1 (healthy) to 9 (more than 90% diseased leaf area) disease scale. Disease progress rates were calculated following curve fitting to the logistic model. Results showed that one single fungicide application, 45 DAP, was inefficient for disease control (mean disease progress rate r = 0.2348). When number of applications increased, and started earlier (at 30 DAP), efficiency also improved for all active principles (mean r = 0.1988 and 0.1671 in 2005/06 and 2006/07, respectively). Overall, lowest disease severities were observed with fentinhydroxyde, tryfloxistrobin + propiconazole, tryfloxistrobin + cyproconazoleand. The protective and curative effects of all fungicides were assessed in the greenhouse, by applicationat pre- or post-inoculation, respectively. Efficiency was evaluated by measurement of lesion diameter. All fungicides presented curative and protective effects, whereas best results were observed in preventive application. A high negative correlation was found between web blight intensity and yield, and increase in grain yield with fungicide applications reached 304 % over control plots.
Thanatephorus cucumeris; Phaseolus vulgaris
