Chocolate Spot on Broad Beans

Chocolate Spot on Broad Beans (Latin name - Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis fabae)

Chocolate spot is a fungal disease which attacks Broad Beans in the
vegetable garden.The leaves and stems, when affected, are covered with
dark brown lesions, which look as though they have been covered in
chocolate powder.

*Causes of chocolate spot*:

* overcrouding - dense crop with lush growth
* high humidity - wet season
* acidic growing conditions
* too much nitrogen fertiliser
* winter sown crops more susceptible

*To avoid chocolate spot*:

* give plants plenty of space
* do not apply nitrogen fertiliser
* burn affected plants after harvest

*Effects of Chocolate Spot on Broad Beans*

* beans are still edible, although the pods are discoloured
* reduced yield as pods do not fill
* death of plants if severe

A mild attack of Chocolate Spot on broad beans in the vegetable garden
is not a disaster. A satisfactory crop of beans may be harvested. It
is a warning to give broad beans a healthy start next year with plenty
of space for air to be able to circulate round them.