ChileanJAR

In the summer of 1971-72 a bean field with numerous dead plants was observed in Pirque province of Santiago. affected plants were partially to completely defoliated with the pods remaining on the plants and the stems showing ashy grey lesions with large numbers of black microsclerotia. In some cases, necrotic areas and longitudinal cankers could be found at the base of the stems.
From the isolations, mycological observations and pathogenicity tests, it was concluded that the field symptoms correspond to the of Macrophomina phaseoli (Maubl.) Ashby, causal organism of bean ashy stem-blight (Walker), previously reported from Chile only on soybeans.