Category: Disease Control
Snow Molds in the Winter of 2013-14
From a turf disease perspective, evidence of the severity of this winter is apparent in the extent of snow mold development. Symptoms of Typhula snow molds (gray snow mold and speckled snow mold), and/or pink snow mold are obvious throughout Indiana and the Midwest. Typhula snow mold pathogens are adapted to grow and infect at […]
Rust Disease – 2013
The 2013 rust disease outbreak seems to have arrived a little earlier than usual. My thoughts about the current rust epidemic are intended for lawn care professionals, who must address reasonable questions from their clients. Most professionals are very familiar with the basics of rust disease. To briefly review from the 2013 perspective–the ample precipitation […]
Spring Diseases in the Midwest
Spring has finally arrived and it is accompanied by the usual compliment of infectious turf diseases. There should be no confusion between two “rhizoctonia” diseases. Yellow patch (aka cool season brown patch) prevails during early spring, when rainy weather is combined with cool nights. It also affects al turf species and the circular patches are […]
Weather and Turf Diseases
From a temperature perspective, weather patterns in the Midwest have returned to normal this spring. I recall the 80 F days in March 2012, and all of the concerns about scheduling fungicide sprays. Hopefully most turf managers have resisted the temptation (regardless of who or what is doing the tempting) to apply fungicides for early […]
Weather and Turf Disease –Early Spring 2013
Nobody needs to be reminded that March 2013 has been colder than the last several years. The good thing is that wintry conditions prevent wasted fungicide applications. Keep watching the summer patch soil temperature monitor. Remember that there are several elements to the decision rule. The cardinal temperature seems to be around 65F—in soil at […]
Turf Notes: Disease and Fungicide Update
Early Season Dollar Spot Sprays The pathogen must be active in order for the mycelium to absorb a fungicide. We know that Sclerotinia homoeocarpa grows when temperatures remain above 55F in the presence of ample moisture. If such conditions prevail in March (as they did in 2012), then early season sprays may help reduce dollar […]
Gray Leaf Spot
Recent weather (remnants of hurricane Isaac) raised concerns about gray leaf spot in the Ohio Valley and the lower Midwest in general. You may recall that the pathogen does not overwinter efficiently in the Midwest, and inoculum (airborne spores) from storms that originate in the South is significant. Gray leaf spot is a foliar disease […]
Snow mold damage – 2011
Melting snows revealed some significant snow mold damage. As you know there are two types of snow mold diseases, gray snow mold (aka Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (Microdochium patch). Although they create similar symptoms (circular patches of tan turf—sometimes with orange/brown margins, Fig. A, C, D) the pathogens are not closely related and […]
Top Ten Turf Tips of 2010
Part II: Summer diseases in Residential Turf Part III: Summer weeds: Common summer weeds and their control Part I: Too hot: Why some turfgrass species look poor in summer Color Variation in Residential and Commercial Lawns Crabgrass Control Now is the time to seed lawns and other turf areas Choosing a Preemergence Herbicide Late Fall […]
Rust Diseases
Rust is a disease of taller mown turf. Outbreaks are most common on residential lawns, low budget athletic fields, and, occasionally, on golf course roughs. A variety of related fungi cause rust. Ccommon names include leaf rust, crown rust, and stem rust, and the disease occurs almost exclusively on Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Rust […]
Summer Stress
Summer Stress With a warm and wet summer, we are experiencing decline in some of our turf around the state due to temperatures, disease, insects, and weeds. In response, we are publishing a four part series on this topic to help turfgrass managers respond. Look forward to the following topics over the next two weeks. […]
Gray Leaf Spot 2010
Gray leaf spot has been identified on perennial ryegrass fairways in northern Kentucky. It is likely that outbreaks will occur in southern Indiana with the next rainstorm (or it may already be established). If the turf that you manage has a history of the disease, this would be a good time to consider apply a […]
Slime mold
Slime mold can occur on all turf grasses. The disease does not infect the plant but instead grows on the outside of the leaves. Yellowish, purplish, or grayish fruiting bodies may be observed during wet periods. As the turf begins to dry, the structures become powdery. Since the disease is only cosmetic in nature, chemical […]
Turf Disease Watch
The near term forecast indicates an early arrival of summer, when temperature and moisture conditions favor diseases that can cause serious damage to turf on golf courses, athletic fields and residential landscapes. Two of the more important diseases are discussed below. Brown Patch Brown patch is a foliar disease that does not damage crowns or […]
Snow mold damage
Melting snows revealed some significant snow mold damage. As you know there are two types of snow mold diseases, gray snow mold (aka Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (Microdochium patch). Although they create similar symptoms (circular patches of tan turf—sometimes with orange/brown margins) the pathogens are not closely related and they have different temperature requirements for infection. […]
Damping off diseases in new seedlings
Although the cool weather tends to limit disease in new seedlings, a spike in the temperatures could trigger outbreaks in juvenile turf yet this year. Late summer is clearly the best time of the year to seed for a variety of reasons, but we must deal with two difficulties of seeding at this time: Our […]
Dollar Spot
Dollar spot is caused by a fungal pathogen, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, that blights leaf tissues but does not affect turfgrass roots or crowns. The disease is a common concern on golf course turf, especially creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass greens, tees, and fairways, where it can result in poor turf quality and appearance. Dollar spot is one […]
Rust Diseases
Rust is a disease of taller mown turf. Outbreaks are most common on residential lawns, low budget athletic fields, and, occasionally, on golf course roughs. A variety of related fungi cause rust. Ccommon names include leaf rust, crown rust, and stem rust, and the disease occurs almost exclusively on Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Rust […]
Professionals only: Rust/dollar spot thriving in lawns
The diseases rust and dollar spot are thriving in Indiana lawns right now, which is fairly typical for this time of the year. These are both low nitrogen diseases, so are almost inevitable as we try to keep lawns on the lean side during the summer to minimize devastating damage from pythium, brown patch, heat […]
Patch Disease Symptoms Starting to Show in Dry Kentucky Bluegrass Lawns
Summer patch and necrotic ring spot are root-infecting diseases in Kentucky bluegrass lawns. Their symptoms are some of the most difficult to manage, much less control the disease. Although these diseases differ slightly in when they attack the roots, the pathogens generally are active in the late spring to early summer. Infection-impaired roots have a […]