It's small holes in broad bean tips time again

[Marb67]

Although I have some healthy looking Autumn sown broad beans with loads of flowers, I am noticing the same problem on the odd plant, mainly the Spring sown smaller ones. This usually starts much later in summer. It's the same pattern of tiny, oval shaped holes in the tip leaves that eventually spreads and makes the leaves go twisted and distorted and the same happens to the beans.

So far I have picked them out and destroyed but I know for sure it is def NOT birds, blackfly (no insects on them) just tiny peppered holes. Hopefuly I will crop the Autumn sown but if it gets worse the Spring sown will suffer.

Any guess as to what it can be. Flea beetle perhaps ?

[bearded bloke]

Looks more like a virus to me Marb, possibly Fusarium wilt ?

[roitelet]

I would have said insect damage. Flea beetle or pea and bean weevil.

[Greenleaves]

As there are none of the tell tell cut marks to the each of the leaves I would rule out bean weevils

[Snoop Puss]

Do the leaves grow whole and then develop the damage, or are they damaged as soon as they emerge?

[bearded bloke]

What was planted in the same location last year ?

[Greenleaves]

Or indeed seed from last years crop?

[Marb67]

Only new seed planted. Soil has been moved around a bit so impossible to tell as been rearranging beds. Mixture of compost old and new as well as garden soil.

The leaves always start getting holes with fresh shoots and then they get progressivley worse. This is why I sow Autumn ones now because they usually crop before the damage is done. A lot of my plants suffer from bubbling, distorted leaves which is a mystery as I do not use any chemicals at all.it is def something making small holes in the leaves which you ca't really see in the images. From a quick glance you would be forgiven for thinking they were black fly but they are in fact tiny oval holes that get bigger when the leaves grow as they stretch.

Perhaps one for Gardener's Question Time.

[Snoop Puss]

If the holes and puckering are there when the leaves first emerge, then it's likely to be a virus, I'd say. However, the vector could be an insect, hence your spring sown ones suffer more. Mind you, I'm only guessing!

When you say a lot of your plants suffer, do you mean a lot of your broad bean plants or lots of other types of veg as well?

[Marb67]

Some other plants too. I think aphids can sometimes cause the distorting as they take the sap.

[Snoop Puss]

Have a look in this book in Google Books

Pests, Diseases, and Disorders of Peas and Beans: A Colour Handbook
By A. J. Biddle, Nigel D. Cattlin

If you search for "broad beans", you'll find some good pictures. Have a look through to see if any of the symptoms match yours.

Here's a link to the pages on Broad Bean Stain Virus (Broad Bean Mosaic Virus appears on the following pages.

https://books.google.es/books?id=rHX...ans%22&f=false

I can't promise the link will take you to the right place. For some reason Google Book links might take you to the cover rather than the actual page. If this happens, use the search inside book box and look for broad beans.

[Marb67]

Thanks for the link. I can't see anything there that resembles my symptoms though.