Cultural practices in the control of bean root rot

Bean root rot (a complex of Apharwmyces spp., Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli, Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani) affects winter-grown fresh beans at Gympie, Queensland. In 5 trials conducted in 1986-88, cultural practices (depth of planting, depth of cultivation, hilling) and a fungicide treatment were examined as methods of control of the disease. The experiments were sited on a clay-loam soil, and under these conditions, shallow planting (25 mm) was the most effective treatment, significantly (P<0.05) reducing the severity of root rot relative to the standard depth of 50 mm.