Currently, NDSU Extension is not getting calls about dry bean rust, but anticipate that it may appear soon. Scouting for dry bean rust is important even in a dry year. The disease definitely won’t occur everywhere, but if it is identified it can be managed with fungicides. Dry edible bean rust can occur in dry years and is favored by moderate to warm temperatures.
Like other rusts, the pathogen needs free moisture (leaf wetness, dew, fog, etc.) to infect; not necessarily rain. Dry bean rust infection is also influenced by microclimates. Open and/or thin canopies make the microclimate less favorable for dew and less favorable for rust, while a lush dense canopy makes heavy dew and rust infection more likely.
Read more on page 11 of the Crop and Pest Report.
