Linear rows of brown to black fruiting bodies, “pycnidia,” are seen on stems, but are scattered on pods. Infection of healthy plants is common, but the pycnidia are produced only on dead or dying tissue. Seeds in infected pods have a white, moldy growth, are wrinkled, smaller, and germinate poorly. Seed infection tends to be greater when warm wet or humid weather delays harvest. Plants that are killed early, or plants that are harvested late in wet or warm humid late summer, often have pycnidia present. Infected seed can produce infected plants, but most infection comes from inoculum in infested crop residue. Spores splash on plants during wet weather and infection is favored by injuries, hail, or lesions caused by other pathogens.

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