The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Watch for Anthracnose in Lentils

Anthracnose, a lentil disease caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum truncatum, has been detected in 16% of lentil seed lots tested in the Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic Lab this winter. While levels of this seed-transmitted pathogen are low, the widespread presence of the pathogen in seed lots indicates that growers should be consistently monitoring their lentils this growing season, particularly if environmental conditions are favorable for the development of Anthracnose. Favorable conditions include abundant rainfall during bloom and pod development and a dense canopy. Symptoms include light-brown lesions with a black border that initiate low at the base of the plant and spread upward. Defoliation and girdling can cause plants to wilt and lodge. Serious infections could result in patches of dead plants.

Please consult Chouteau County Extension or the Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic Lab website for more information on Anthracnose and other seed-borne diseases of pulse crops. Carmen Murphy, Postdoctoral Researcher at Montana State University was the author of this article.

Montana State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.