Between 22 and 27 Feb, Ascochyta blight in garbanzo beans was detected in the Five Points/Lemoore area.

This disease has potential to cause economic damage, is favored by wet conditions and moderate temperatures, and rain is in the forecast for Friday, March 1^st and Sunday, March 3^rd.

Fungicides, such as Endura (boscalid), Headline (pyraclostrobin), or Quadris (azoxystrobin) applied to garbanzo foliage preventatively will reduce risk of loss due to this disease.

Consult product labels carefully before applying a fungicide treatment to ensure the most effective application method, timing and rate.

Here are recent resources for more information about Ascochyta blight in garbanzos:

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=26328

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/dry-beans/ascochyta-blight-garbanzo-beans/

Below are photos by Tom Turini showing typical signs and symptoms of Ascochyta blight of garbanzo on plant samples recently collected in the Five Points/Lemoore area.

Circular lesions with dark centers and foliar dieback on garbanzo bean plant.

Garbanzo bean leaves with necrosis and small dark ifungal structures (pycnidia) of Ascochyta rabiei.

Garbanzo bean plant with stem lesion and substantial dieback.

We evaluated blackeye bean varieties in a commercial field in Stanislaus County. The season began with cool and wet spring conditions, which lasted through the month of June and delayed planting. Seven varieties from the University of California blackeye breeding program were planted on July 7^th. The varieties were grown on a Hanford sandy loam, and the soil temperature was approximately 75°F at the time of planting. Each variety was planted across six rows on 30-inch spacing, on a row length of approximately 275 feet. The seeding rate was 40 pounds per acre. This was a non-replicated evaluation due to a limitation in seed; therefore, no statistical analysis is presented.

The trial was planted in a field of CB46, and fertility and pests were managed by the grower in the same manner as the field. Data are presented in Table 1. Stand counts were made approximately two weeks after planting on July 20^th. The stand was assessed as the number of plants per two-foot length. Twelve replicate counts were averaged. We evaluated aphid and lygus damage on September 8^th, which were low due to the grower's management. For lygus, we took 10 sweeps from four locations in each plot and counted the lygus. Data were averaged and are presented as a 10-sweep count. For aphids, we used a rating scale from 0 to 10 that accounted for visible crown damage and aphid incidence. In addition to the in-field assessment of lygus, we also evaluated harvest samples for stings and found that, on average, about 1.2 percent of the beans had lygus damage. No diseases were observed.

We harvested on November 6^th. All six rows of each variety were cut and raked into one windrow. At the time of cutting, the grower observed that CB77 plants were laying flat, but they were laying in such a way that the knives still picked up the plants. The grower also observed that CB74 had an upright growth habit that could potentially make it a variety viable for swather cutting. We evaluated 100-seed weight as a measure of seed size, evaluating five 100-seed samples per variety.

We would like to thank the cooperating grower, the CA Crop Improvement Association for funding regional trials, and the CA Dry Bean Advisory Board for assistance with statewide research prioritization and assistance with outreach.

Table 1. 2023 Blackeye Bean Variety Evaluation Results

Registration is now open, and the agenda is finalized

2023 Kearney Field Crops, Alfalfa and Forage Field Day

NEW THIS YEAR:

For at least the last 10 years, this field day has focused exclusively on issues pertaining to production of alfalfa and other forage crops. This year we are happy to expand the focus of this meeting to include important information about other field crops. Two presentations this year will provide information about production of dry edible beans including blackeye cowpeas, pigeon peas, garbanzos, and limas.

THERE IS NO COST TO ATTEND THIS MEETING, AND ALL ARE WELCOME

• WHEN: Friday, September 29th, 2023, from 8:00 AM - 12:15 PM. Sign-in starts at 7:00 AM
• WHERE: Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center; 9240 South Riverbend Avenue; Parlier, CA 93648

Who should attend? All who are interested in up-to-date research based information regarding issues faced in the production of field crops including alfalfa and other forages in the San Joaquin Valley of CA.

Pre-registration: Although there is no cost to attend this meeting, pre-registration is encouraged, as it is the only way for us to guarantee lunch will be available for everybody as well as ensure any needs for accommodations can be addressed. Pre-register by clicking here or following this link: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=41316.

Continuing Education Units: CEUs have been applied for to meet education requirements for the following licensing agencies - CA DPR, CDFA-INMP, and CCA.

Agenda: You can download the agenda by clicking here or by following this link: https://ucanr.edu/sites/kingscounty/files/387701.pdf.

7:00 am           Sign-in (refreshments provided)

8:00 am           Depart for Field Tour

• Sorghum Variety Trials (Grain & Forage) – Jackie Atim, UC ANR
• Sorghum variety trial under deficit irrigation – Jackie Atim
• Dry beans variety selection – Bao Lam Huynh, UC Riverside
• Almond-Alfalfa Intercropping System – Sultan Begna and Lauren Hale, USDA ARS

10:00 am         Return from Field Tour

10:10 am         New Extension Advisors Introduction – Nick Clark, UC ANR

10:20 am         Alfalfa Weed Management – Giuliano Galdi & Jorge Angeles UC ANR

10:40 am         Cotton IPM – Ian Grettenberger & Buddhi Achhami, UC Davis

11:00 am         Brief: Small Grain and Alfalfa Weed Management – Nick Clark

11:05 am         Break

11:15 am         Compost Application to Alfalfa – Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UC ANR

11:35 am         Byproducts Trends & Opportunities for the CA Dairy Industry – Jennifer Heguy, UC ANR

11:55 am         Lima & Garbanzo Breeding and Dry Bean Heat Stress Testing– Christine Diepenbrock, UC Davis

12:15 pm         Lunch

 

For more information, contact Giuliano Galdi, (209) 385-7403, gcgaldi@ucanr.edu