Crop rotations of at least 2 years between bean crops or other susceptible crops are also recommended to reduce disease pressure in beans. Benomyl is used by carrot growers for the control of Rhizoctonia crown rot and cottony rot caused by Sclerotinia . Loss of this product may cause problems for some commercial carrot growers as there are no suitable alternatives for the control of either disease. Wisconsin celery growers use benomyl to control Cercospora and Septoria blights. Powdery mildew, gummy stem blight, and anthracnose on vine crops including cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squash are three other plant diseases for which benomyl is registered for use.
Several alternatives exist in the absence of benomyl.
Thiophanate-methyl will also control these diseases in vine crops. Of a more serious concern is the impact that the loss of this product will have on fruit production in Wisconsin. Currently it is registered for use on apples, strawberries, raspberries, and cherries. In many cases there are no alternative products available for substitution that will maintain high quality fruit while still allowing growers to produce the crop economically. To a lesser extent, growers use benomyl to mange powdery mildew.