The usefulness of sclerotia morphology traits and mycelial growth rate to infer phenotypic variability in populations of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum associated with common beans in Minas Gerais State (MG) was assessed in two experiments. Isolates (131) were collected in the Northwestern, Alto Paranaíba, Zona da Mata and Southern regions of MG and the mycelial growth rate, the number, weight and dimensions (length, width and thickness) of sclerotia and mycelial pigmentation were assessed. There was a high variability among isolates, even among colonies of the same isolate. The variance of the first experiment for the mycelial growth rate, number, weight, length, width and thickness of sclerotia, were 0.01, 190.15, 0.01, 0.62, 0.12 and 0.05, whereas in the second, the variances were 0.01, 28.48, 0.002, 0.18, 0.06 and 0.03, respectively. Most correlations between traits were of low magnitude except that between length and width (r = 0.84, 'P < 0.001). Regarding colony pigmentation, non-pigmented, pigmented and highly pigmented isolates were identified, but for most isolates this characteristic varied between experiments. No groups based on phenotypic traits were detected. The morphological traits evaluated in the present study are not suitable for characterization of populations of S. sclerotiorum.

The objective of this study was to understand the infection process of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli (Fop) in bean cultivars classified as resistant (Manteigão Fosco 11), intermediate (VP8) and susceptible (Meia Noite). Plants of the three cultivars were inoculated at 10 days after emergence with a suspension of 1×10(6) conidia of Fop per mL. At 43 days after the inoculation, stem segments were observed with a scanner electronic microscope. The cultivars Manteigão Fosco 11 and VP8 presented an occluding material in the xylem vessels, which may have restricted tissue colonization by Fop. The resistance of bean cultivars to Fop seemed also to be explained by structural differences in the xylem tissue.

Fusarium root rot caused by Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli (Fsp) is widely distributed in Latin America. Experiments involving artificial inoculations could be better compared whether the number of Fsp infective propagules is well quantified by using chlamydospores. This study aimed to define the adequate concentration of chlamydospores of Fsp for assessment of the disease severity under controlled conditions. In greenhouse, two experiments were performed, where common bean susceptible genotypes were sown in a substrate infested with 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 or 6000 chlamydospores g-1 of substrate. Plants were rated for disease severity at 30 d after emergence. Linear response plateau was used to represent the relationship between disease severity and concentration of chlamydospores in the substrate. According to our results, concentrations between 4500 and 5000 chlamydospores g-1 of substrate maximizes the disease severity and can be recommended to evaluate large-scale screenings of bean germplasm.

Fusarium root rot (FRR) is a distributed disease of common beans in Brazil. Our main aim was to verify if there are genotypes, mainly advanced lines from the common bean breeding program with levels of resistance to FRR similar to those of the line A-300. We also compared three developmental stages for FRR assessment. Genotypes of six classes were evaluated in greenhouse and field experiments. In greenhouse, substrate was infested with chlamydospores. In field, genotypes were screened in area infested with Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli. Plants were rated for disease at V3, R5 and R7 stages. Correlation among area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) in greenhouse and in the field experiments was significant. Genotypes were ranked into four groups based on AUDPC. Sixteen advanced lines were as resistant to FRR as A-300. Correlation between the disease rating at R5 stages and AUDPC was higher than those among AUDPC and either disease rating at V3 or R7 in all experiments. Our results indicate that there are advanced lines with levels of FRR resistance similar to those of A-300 and that the FRR assessment at the R5 stage is more appropriated than at either V3 or R7.

O mofo-branco é doença que limita a produtividade no outono-inverno no Sudeste do Brasil, quando feijoeiros irrigados do tipo III são geralmente semeados no espaçamento entre fileiras (EEF) de 0,5 m com 10 a 12 plantas por metro. O objetivo com este estudo foi avaliar a eficácia da combinação de EEF largo, densidade de plantas (DP) baixa, com ou sem fungicida, no manejo da doença. Os tratamentos foram arranjados no fatorial 2³: EEF (0,50 ou 0,75 m), DP (6 ou 12 plantas por metro) e fungicida (com ou sem). Dois ensaios foram conduzidos, em Viçosa, MG. Em 2002, a incidência média do mofo-branco foi de 43,2%, a severidade de 31,1% e a produtividade de 2513 kg ha-1. Em 2003, os valores dessas variáveis foram: 48,0%, 22,6% e 2159 kg ha-1, respectivamente. As interações que envolveram EEF e DP não foram significativas em relação à intensidade da doença e à produtividade na análise combinada dos anos. EEF largo reduziu a intensidade do mofo-branco em 2002. DP baixa reduziu a incidência em 2002 e não influenciou a produtividade na análise combinada. Nas parcelas com fungicida, EEF largo diminuiu a produtividade em 2002, mas EEF não influenciou a produtividade em 2003. Nas parcelas sem fungicida, EEF não influenciou a produtividade nos dois anos. Concluímos que a combinação de EEF largo e DP baixa é uma estratégia promissora para o manejo do mofo-branco quando não se aplica fungicida. Quando se aplica fungicida, o espaçamento entre fileiras normalmente usado (0.50 m) associado a DP baixa maximiza a produtividade.

White mold is a yield-limiting disease during the fall-winter season in southeastern Brazil when irrigated type III common beans are generally sown 0.5 m apart with 10 to 12 plants per meter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combining increased row width (RW) and reduced planting density (PD), with or without fungicide, for white mold management. Treatments were arranged as a 2³ factorial: RW (0.50 or 0.75 m), PD (6 or 12 plants per meter), and fungicide (sprayed or unsprayed). Two trials were conducted in Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais. In 2002, the average incidence of white mold was 43.2%, the severity index, 31.1%, and the yield, 2513 kg ha-1. In 2003, the values of these variables were 48.0%, 22.6%, and 2159 kg ha-1, respectively. Interactions involving both RW and PD were not significant for either disease intensity or yield in the combined analysis across years. Increasing RW led to reduction in white mold intensity in 2002. The lower PD reduced disease incidence in 2002 and did not affect yield in the combined analysis. In fungicide sprayed plots, wide RW decreased yield in 2002, but RW did not affect yield in 2003. In unsprayed plots, RW did not affect yield in both years. We conclude that increasing RW to 0.75 m combined with low PD is a promising strategy for white mold management when fungicide is not applied. When fungicide is applied, the current row width (0.50 m) combined with low PD maximize the yield.

Natural selection takes place while advancing generations of segregant populations of self pollinating species by the population (bulk) method. There is evidence that it maintains the individuals with greater grain yield. The question arises whether natural selection preserves the individuals which are more adapted only to the environment where the generation advance occurred, that is, if it contributes to increasing the genotype x environment interaction in the family assessment. This study was carried out to check this hypothesis in the common bean plant using families derived from a segregating population from a cross between the Carioca MG x ESAL 686 cultivars. The segregating populations increase in homozygosity was obtained by the population (bulk) method until the F14 generation, in three distinct locations in Minas Gerais state: Lavras, Lambari and Patos de Minas. Forty-seven F14:15 families were randomly taken from the population in each location and later multiplied to obtain F14:16 families. These families were jointly assessed with three controls using a triple 12 x 12 lattice design in the three locations of generation advance in the wet season of 1998/1999. All the estimated parameters showed that while advancing segregant populations by the population (bulk) method, natural selection acted to preserve the individuals which are more adapted to the environment in which they were advanced.