White Mold Management in Common Bean by Increasing Within-Row Distance Between Plants

White mold of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a major yield-limiting disease during the fall-winter season in Brazil. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of decreasing within-row densities for an indeterminate growth habit (type IIIa) cultivar, keeping constant the between-row spacing of 0.5 m, to manage the disease. A modification of within-row plant distributions was also attempted in order to reduce white mold intensity. The study was conducted with sprinkler irrigation in two growing seasons (2000 and 2001) in Vicosa, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in an area naturally infested with sclerotia. In 2000, treatments were arranged as 3 x 2 x 2 factorial combination of within-row densities (15, 7.5, or 5 plants/m), within-row plant distributions (single and equidistant plants or equidistant groups of three plants), and fluazinum treatments (with or without). In 2001, 16, 12, 8, or 4 plants/m were combined with fluazinam treatments. Fluazinam was applied at both flowering onset and 10 or 13 days later. Average incidence was 92.6% in 2000 and 77.8% in 2001; severity index was 69.8% in 2000 and 40.2% in 2001; and yield was 1,656 kg/ha in 2000 and 2,542 kg/ha in 2001. White mold decreased and yield increased as within-row densities were reduced, regardless of fluazinam treatments. A distribution of equidistant groups of three plants was ineffective in reducing disease. The use of 4 equidistant plants/m in infested irrigated areas was an effective strategy in white mold management.