It is not insect and I don't believe it is a disease. It appears to be fertilizer burn too much water or drought. Did you recently fertilize? use and insecticidal soap or something?. Rodger

Mine looked the same this year here in MI. The seedlings looked great, but then they developed the same symptoms as in your photos. I cut off the worst leaves, side-dressed with a complete fertilizer (containing micronutrients), and watered regularly. They're doing better now, but growth is slow and the plants don't look entirely healthy.

My suspicion is scalding. Right after they germinated (I planted on memorial day), we had a week or so of 90+ degree weather, with no rain, and I had not gotten any mulch down yet. Because they still had limited root systems, they were more sensitive to the drying heat, and so they dried out. Conditions were right for scalding - but I don't know for sure, I'm just going by what I read online.

A newer planting of beans was affected by the exact same condition as my first planting. Totally different weather conditions, and this time I know they got plenty of water.

Also, some leaves on my pepper plants that were adjacent to the affected beans also seem to be affected.

I'd really like to know what's causing this.

Julz, what kind of seeds did you plant?

I planted Burpee Contender.

I ask because some viruses can be seed-born. Here's a link to some photos of a mosaic virus in beans. You've got to click through a few frames, just select beans and then leaf symptoms and veinal symptoms. Some of the veinal symptoms photos look similar to what our beans have.

Here is a link that might be useful: BCMV photos

I've got the same problem on my Burpee's Contender, Burpees's Greencrop, and Burpee's Dragontongue. I thought it was a nitrogen burn, but maybe it is a Burpee problem. Hope it doesn't spread to the other bean varieties or go into the soil.

Just went out and looked and other beans are beginning to have it too, on either side of the Burpee's Contender, Burpees's Greencrop, and Burpee's Dragontongue, which are all in one row next to each other in blocks. Looks like it could be radiating out. A pole bean a ways away also has it, incidentally this pole bean is planted in about the same area the Burpee's Dragontongue was planted last year. (same seed packet as this year)
So if it is a virus or bacteria infecting Burpee seeds, does anyone know what it is called and how to treat it?

My beans are coming out of it - they've got blooms and are looking pretty good. Some of the undersides of the plants still have it - but otherwise they look much better.
It was Burpee I planted - Kentucky Wonders. I'll try and get an updated pic on here soon.

Mine come out of the acute symptoms, particularly the leaf necrosis, but they remain stunted and the leaves have a mosaic of chlorotic regions. I'll post some pics later.

What makes me suspect the seeds is that all the plants come down with it at exactly the same time, and different succession plantings come down with it at exactly the same maturity, regardless of weather conditions. But it certainly could be an insect vector - aphids or maybe something else. The aphids don't even have to feed to transmit a virus, as long as they probe the leaf, they can transmit it. So even if the plants are coated with insecticide, the aphids can infect them.

I'm going to stop by the local extension tomorrow and see if they can give me a definitive ID. I'll post their answer tomorrow evening.

BTW, where are you guys located? I'm in SE Michigan. I'll ask at the extension, if this is a virus or some other disease, if they know what regions are affected. Maybe that could help zero in on whether it's Burpee's seeds or not.

Thanks.

I don't think its sunscald. Its been between 106-115 degrees here for 2 weeks and my beans are fried. They look a lot different, crisp on the edges first and then the burn moved to the middle of the leaf. Not like your spotty burned leaves. Unless... Did you spray water during the heat of the day? Sometimes if water droplets stay on leaves in the hot sun, they magnify (refract? whats the correct term?) the light and burn the leaf.

From the look of the leaf though, I'd say it look like fertilizer burn.
Good Luck!

Anyone ever get an answer from an extension agent or?

Just thought I'd mention that since a recent hard rain, my beans are all growing out of this with vigorous perfect new leaves. It could have been fertilizer burn, as I'd put about a tablespoon of 12-12-12 by the base of each and then sprayed with Miracle Grow mixed with Sevin about a week later. The spots began to show up a few days after the spraying.

There has been some discussion about whether or not to fertilize beans, or with what. Another poster said it best on the Innoculant on Top thread; its cheap insurance. He was talking about using innoculant for the first year of planting, which makes good sense to me, also that new better strains might be developed, so then you might want them in the soil too. I'm going to add the cheap insurance reason to using 12-12-12 fertilzer too. I planted them all about the same time, and left one row unfertilized, and you should see the blooms the fertilized plants are putting on now.

Rather than start a brand new thread, I have a related question. I planted my beans about 2-3 weeks ago. I did fertilize with Fish emulsion I picked up from Lowes. It was the kind that attaches to the hose and you water with it. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of the day (but it was a cloudy day, so I thought it would be ok??) Can fish emulsion cause this kind of fertilzer burn? Or is it likely sun scaled due to the poor timing of my watering along with hot temps we've had this week 990s)? Thanks for any advice! :)