Faba beans are widely grown in Central Europe to feed livestock, hence the name cattle bean or broad bean. But diseases don't only play a role in agriculture; fungal infections and other pathogens can also strike when growing in your own garden. Below, learn more about common diseases, how to recognize them, and how to prevent and combat them.
What diseases occur in faba beans and how can you combat them?
Common diseases of faba beans are fungal infections such as chocolate spot, focal spot, faba bean rust and gray mold. Prevention includes sufficient planting spacing, crop rotation and mixed crops. If infested, remove affected plant parts and avoid pesticides.
Fungal diseases
Fungal diseases are probably among the most common diseases that afflict field beans. As with fungal diseases that affect humans, they are favored by warm, humid environments. In warm, humid summers, the likelihood of illness is significantly higher. The three most common fungal diseases are:
- Chocolate spot disease: red-brown spots with a light center on leaves and stems after flowering
- Focal spot disease: up to 1cm large, light brown spots with dark edges, before and after flowering, on leaves, pods and seeds
- Faba bean rust: rust-colored pustules on both leaf sides that turn dark as the disease progresses
- Grey mold: Gray coating on leaves, flowers and pods
Prevent fungal diseases
To prevent infection by fungal diseases, you should take the following measures:
- Maintain the recommended minimum planting distance
- Provide wide row spacing to prevent moisture buildup
- Sow seeds as early as possible so that the plants are already strong and well grown at the critical time
- Observe crop rotation
- Ensure sufficient nutrients in the soil
- Growing mixed crops
Treating fungal diseases
If one or more faba bean plants are affected by one of the diseases mentioned above, you should first remove all affected parts of the plant with a clean knife. Do not dispose of diseased plant parts in the compost! We do not recommend treating with pesticides in the home garden. The chemical agents are almost always harmful to he alth and have a negative effect not only on your own he alth but especially on that of the insects and small animals living in the garden.
Other diseases
In addition to the fungal diseases mentioned above, your faba bean can also get other diseases. For example:
- Leaf rolling disease: leaves curl upwards and turn yellow
- Faba bean mosaic virus: Yellow to brownish spots on the leaves
Prevent viral diseases
In general, the same preventative measures apply as mentioned above for fungal diseases. A well-cared for, well-maintained plant is in most cases also a he althy plant.
Treating viral diseases on faba beans
Viral diseases are often difficult to control. If you have a plant affected by faba bean mosaic virus or leaf roll disease, it is better to remove it as soon as possible to prevent the virus from spreading. The use of pesticides is also not recommended here.
