Spatiotemporal Attributes and Crop Loss Associated with Tan Spot Epidemics in Baby Lima Bean in New York

Tan spot, caused by the pycnidial fungi Didymella americana and Boeremia exigua var. exigua, is a foliar disease affecting processing baby lima bean production in New York. Tan spot epidemics are prevalent, occur annually, and may result in substantial defoliation. The disease is controlled by the prophylactic application of fungicides to maximize green leaf area. Information on yield losses due to tan spot on baby lima bean yield and the benefits of fungicide applications is needed to justify investments in disease management. Four small-plot, replicated trials were conducted over 2 years in commercial baby lima bean fields to evaluate the efficacy of fungicides for tan spot control at Piffard and Leicester, NY. Applications of pyraclostrobin or boscalid significantly reduced tan spot incidence and severity compared with nontreated plots, and increased the number of leaves per stem. In 2016, the increase in green leaf area associated with fungicide application was also documented in canopy reflectance values at 830 nm. Despite the decrease in tan spot incidence and corresponding increase in crop health obtained from fungicides, this effect did not translate into significant increases in pod yield. This finding suggested that the relationship between green leaf area and yield is highly variable in baby lima bean. The spatial and spatiotemporal patterns of naturally occurring tan spot epidemics were also characterized in baby lima bean fields across western New York using disease incidence data collected in transects and grids. The spatial pattern of data collected in transects was analyzed using median runs analysis. Disease incidence data collected in two-dimensional grids were analyzed to quantify spatial pattern using spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE). The association function of SADIE was used to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of tan spot epidemics after crop emergence and at harvest. These findings suggested that tan spot is likely to initiate at relatively frequent, randomly positioned foci, and that subsequent, limited spread results in significant local aggregation. Hypotheses for inoculum sources and recommendations for tan spot control in baby lima bean fields in New York are discussed.