Topic: Sick Bean help please

[Digeroo]

Some of my beans seem to have a strange problem. 

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Rest of beans ok though some leaves elsewhere also affected. 

Have used a lot of manure.  Most plants thriving.

Many thanks for any suggestions.  No visible insects.  Think it might be calcium deficiency but we are in a limestone area!!  Can manure affect uptake of calcium.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

damage from hormone weedkiller?

[Digeroo]

I have thought about that but I have used large amounts of manure and only a very few plants are affected.  The rest of the row of beans are fine, and are in the same manure.

[Kepouros]

If the manure was applied fairly evenly, and only a few plants are affected, it doesn`t seem likely that the manure has anything to do with it.

I`m probably wrong, but it looks to me like a classic case of Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus.  BYMV is not seed borne, but spread by aphids, and can affect most varieties of legumes.  It generally winters in alternative species.

[Digeroo]

I have had a looked at the images available on google for bean yellow mosaic virus.  none of them very clear, but do not seem to show mishapen strapy leaves. 

Still worried about the amino pyralid problem.  Except the plants are not diieing.  At one stage a couple of potato plant looked a bit odd but they are fine now and I got some die back of some leaves on some peas, yet again they grew through the problem and are now very bonny,  also had some broadbean witgh t probelm but obly three out of about a hundred,  Does seem to be worse where I have mulched with manure rather than burying it. 

Have I used too much manure.

[Eristic]

Shall I tell you or should I leave it to Ceres.

[Digeroo]

Please  tell me, I am very worried about it.  Was just going to dig it up but worried about the replacement. 

[Digeroo]

The more I look the more I am sure I have aminopyralid contamination.  Went to allotment could not work up any enthusiasm.  The problem is not wide spread only a very few plants are affected.  In fact only those which I have mulched with manure. 

But I have used lots of manure and feel rather unhappy about eating the crops.  In fact feel unhappy about eating anything.

Spoke to the farmer who is adament that they do not use the products.  They use their own hay and fodder.  Does this arrive on feed stuffs? 

[Digeroo]

Can any one help.  Do you think my manure is contaminated.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

try planting a healthy tomato in a mixture with it, and see what happens

maybe someone's been spraying on a adjacent plot

[Digeroo]

I mulched some tomato plants with it a couple of days ago, some sprouts that were near are already showing signs, tomatoes maybe.  Certainly no spraying on adjacent plots. 

Hedges on two sides, farmer on one side, and organic on other side.

[Digeroo]

Seems that the problem may be something to do with some wood chippings in the manure.  Only seems to affect areas where it is used to mulch.

[Eristic]

Your manure is contaminated and the farmer is not telling the truth. You have all been warned enough times now that I'm getting tired of telling you about it. This will affect everyone sooner or later and the onus is on you to test the manure before deployment. Farmers and horsey folk have all been well advised in denial methods so do not waste time asking your supplier if the stuff is contaminated or not.

This situation can only get worse and is only a matter of time before it also applies to bags of potting compost. You have been warned.

[Digeroo]

I am sure that the farmer is telling the truth.  He grows his own veg using his own manure.  They are aware of the issue and also the need to be careful.  I feel that it is a case that the contamination will spread to everything.  However careful anyone is this stuff seems to be able to persist.

Most of the farmers round here grow beans as part of their rotations, so are very keen to avoid this stuff. 

The problems are going to persist for sometime, because this manure was very well rotted. 

[Digeroo]

applies to bags of potting compost

You are so right.  I was extremely careful,  only used it in one area at a time and watched the plants grow.  I have thousands of plants and the contamination only affects a very few.  I was very careful and everything was growing so well that I became complacent.  I even grew some peas directly into the manure just to check.

It seems to be able to cling into wood chippings.   I shall certainly not use any bought compost or manure for mulch ever again.  Actually this was the first time I have ever done such a thing.  I usually use lawn clippings, and my lawn has been chemical free for nearly 25 years. 

Keep up the warnings. 

I'm getting tired of telling you about it.

  Please do not get tired of these warnings.  It could have been worse the warnings at least means I have only a very small problem instead of a whole allotment worth.

[sunloving]

You can get simular effects from other weedkillers especially weed and feed for lawns. Could it be that the woodchips came from a place that was sprayed rather than the manure?

Its just we found that once a laod is contaminated EVERYWHERE it is spread is affected , with just variation is how suceptable the plants are so potatoes, beans, dahlias, tomatoes terrible- sweetcorn, begonias not at all.
good luck
but if it is aminopyralid then think about notifying the pesticides agency and your mp and warn people around you about the source.
x sunloving