20/05/2011

The latest PGRO pulse crop bulletin advises growers on the best practice for disease and pest control in Pulses. Becky Ward, PGRO senior technical officer, recommends taking the following action:

Disease control in winter beans

Winter beans are at about five or six flowering trusses and some crops may just be starting to show first pods on the bottom nodes. There is still very little disease present in drier areas - but where chocolate spot is visible on the lower leaves, sprays should be applied as soon as possible. 

Disease control in spring beans

There are few signs of downy mildew infection in spring bean crops and these crops should be monitored. Look for a greyish-brown, felty growth on the under-surface of leaves. Some varieties have good tolerance to the disease. Spray at early flowering where the disease is present on 25% of plants. For further information about the disease and the risk in your area go to www.cropmonitor.co.uk image expired

Pea moth

Some pea moths have been caught in traps (pictured) but no thresholds for combining peas have been reported yet. Crops will not be ready for spraying until they have reached first pod and spray dates will be available through the PGRO telephone service on 01780 783099. 

Tolerance levels in vining peas are lower and crops should be sprayed at first pod where moths have been caught, even in low numbers, in traps. See PGRO Technical Update 149 for details. Traps are available from Oecos  (tel: 01438 832481). 

Silver Y moth

A few silver Y moths have been caught in traps. Traps are available from Agralan Ltd (The Old Brickyard, Ashton Keynes, Swindon), and should be placed in crops as soon as possible. 

The threshold for spraying is a cumulative total of 50 moths per trap by the time peas have reached first pod stage. Further information can be found in PGRO Technical Update 169, available on the website www.pgro.org 

Bruchid beetle

Bruchids are present in spring and winter bean crops and, as winter beans start to set first pods, they will be susceptible to egg-laying activity. 

Ensure that insecticide sprays are applied as soon as first pods are set and temperatures have reached 20°C for two consecutive days. Temperatures are forecast to reach the threshold by Friday and Saturday in some areas, particularly the south and south-east.