Green bean
plants grow best in warm soil.
Green bean is a warm-season plant with low cold and frost tolerance. The University of Illinois Extension ranks the vegetable as second to tomatoes in popularity as a home garden vegetable. A viral disease causes bean plants to turn yellow.
Identification
Bean plants are susceptible to the bean yellow mosaic virus caused by bean yellow mosaic potyvirus. The virus is transmitted by 20 species of aphids, mostly from clover or other legumes. The pests infect bean plants within seconds of feeding.
Damage
The disease is characterized by sudden bright yellow to green mottling of infected foliage. The discoloration is more pronounced on older leaves. Infected leaves become distorted and wrinkled, and they cup downward. Younger bean plants are stunted in growth.
Control
To avoid the disease that causes yellowing, use resistant varieties of beans. The University of California Extension considers this the best management strategy. In addition, locate bean plants away from perennial legumes like clover and alfalfa. The use of insecticides to control aphids and thus the disease is not effective.
Tags: bean plants, bean plants, bean yellow, bean yellow mosaic, Green bean, yellow mosaic
