Stacey Achieng’ Odunga

Angular bean leaf spot and anthracnose development are influenced by
cultural practices such seed selection, planting time, field sanitation
practices, disease control methods and weather elements. The objective
of the study was to determine how crop management practices, rainfall
and temperature affect the development of angular leaf spot andanthracnose under diverse agro-climatic zones in Trans Nzoia County,
Kenya.
Farmers’ perception on seed access and approaches to disease
management was determined through a survey of 100 randomly selected
bean farmers in Trans Nzoia County by administering a semi structured
questionnaire. Six purposively sampled breeding institutions were also
interviewed to understand bean breeding and availability of certified
seeds to farmers. Field experiments were conducted during the short and
long rains in Kitale. Experimental treatments were KALRO Research
centre, Kitale Airstrip and Kibomet where RosecocoGLP 2 bean was
planted in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Temperature data was
collected using HoboMobile app while rainfall was measured using a rain
gauge.
The study showed that farmer’s cultural practices such as choice of bean
varieties increase disease development in the cropping system which
later affects the expected yields. Breeders concentrated more on early
maturity characteristics so that their variety could be accepted by
farmers. Results from the field experiments showed that increase in
temperature and rainfall caused an increase in disease development. The
development of the disease on the three AEZs was attributed to the
alternating periods of high and low rainfall with long periods of high
humidity caused increase in both diseases