You Are Here: Management Updates 1998 Archive June 29, 1998

Date: June 29, 1998
Category: Diseases
Subject: Red Thread, Fusarium, Dollar Spot, Brown Patch, Take-All, Anthracnose

Lawns: The heavy rainfalls and nearly continuous moisture on the leaf blades in the past couple of weeks has resulted in a very severe and widespread outbreak of red thread on lawns. The disease will be worse where air movement is poor, the soil is compacted, and where nitrogen fertility is low. In lawns where disease is severe, a fungicide treatment or two might be appropriate given the continuing wet weather. Where disease is lighter and the lawn has none of the severity factors listed above, the grass might start to recover on its own, but there, too, a fungicide application may be helpful. This is because the overcast weather and foggy conditions in many areas are keeping the grass from drying out and the fungus is flourishing. Both iprodione and flutolanil fungicides are very effective.

Golf courses: In cooler areas, Fusarium patch (pink snow mold) continues to be an annoyance resulting in small salmon colored spots. Dollar spot and brown patch are now active. Take-all patch has been reported from a number of areas of newly seeded bentgrass or where drainage is poor. Azoxystrobin (Heritage) has given good curative action against take-all patch if the plants are not too badly infected. Anthracnose is also active. No certain reports of Pythium blight yet. I don't believe that the maximum temperature requirement has been reached, but certainly the moisture is present.

- Submitted by: Dr. Gail Schumann