Evaluation of various fungicides and soil solarization practices for the management of common bean anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum) and seed yield and loss in Hararghe Highlands of Ethiopia

The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of integrated management of bean anthracnose through soil solarization and various fungicides applications on epidemics of the disease and to determine the effect of integrated management of bean anthracnose on seed yield and loss of common bean variety Mexican-142. Field experiments were conducted at Haramaya and Hirna in 2010 main cropping season of Ethiopia. Soil solarization was integrated with mancozeb and carbendazim seed treatment and with foliar sprays of carbendazim at the rate of 0.5 kg/ha at 10 and 20 days intervals. The experiment was arranged in 2 × 3 × 3 split-split plot design with three replications. A total of 18 treatments were evaluated. There was a significant difference in the anthracnose incidence, severity, seed yield and yield loss. At Haramaya, severe epidemics of anthracnose developed. Seed treatments, foliar sprays and soil solarization alone as well as their interactions did not significantly affect pods per plant and seeds per pod at both locations. The combinations of solarized soil + mancozeb seed treatment + carbendazim foliar spray at 10 days intervals produced seed yield of 3.8 t ha-1 at Haramaya and 3.6 t ha-1 at Hirna over the control. Integrations of soil solarization, seed treatments and foliar spray were found to be effective in reducing bean anthracnose epidemics and increasing yield. Key words: Carbendazim, foliar spray, Mancozeb, Phaseolus vulgaris, seed treatment.