Turf Bowl Milburn

Turfgrass ID: Cool Season

Kentucky bluegrass

Poa pratensis;

Folded vernation, boat shaped leaf tip, short or absent ligule, rhizomatous, leafblade has translucent midrib

Rough bluegrass

Poa trivialis;

Folded vernation, boat shaped leaf tip, very small ligule, stoloniferous

Annual bluegrass

Poa annua;

Folded vernation, boat shaped leaf tip, prominent ligule, bunch type growth

Creeping bentgrass

Agrostis stolonifera;

Rolled vernation, prominent ligule, stoloniferous, light green in color

Colonial bentgrass

Agrostis capillaris;

Rolled vernation, auricle difficult to detect or absent, ligule evenly truncate, blade rough along edges, bunch type growth

Velvet bentgrass

Agrostis canina

Tall fescue

Festuca arundinacea/ Schedronorus arundinaceus/ Lolium arundinaceum;

Rolled vernation, auricle

Hard fescue

Festuca brevipila;

Folded vernation, very small membranous ligule, no auricle, very narrow leaf blade, bunch type growth

Chewings fescue

Festuca rubra spp. commutata

Strong creeping red fescue

Festuca rubra spp. rubra;

Folded vernation, pointed leaf tip, very fine leaves, rhizomatous

Slender red fescue

Festuca rubra spp. litoralis

Annual ryegrass

Lolium multiflorum;

Rolled vernation, long claw-like auricle, bunch type growth

Perennial ryegrass

Lolium perenne;

Folded vernation, pointed leaf tip, leaves shiny on back, red pigment at sheath base, bunch type growth

Turf ID: Warm Season

Common bermudagrass

Cynodon dactylon;

Folded vernation, fringe of hairs on ligule, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, leaf is pubescent

Hybrid bermudagrass

Cynodon dactylon X C. transvaalensis;

Folded vernation, fringe of hairs on ligule, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, leaf is pubescent, will differ from common by shorter internodes and less elongation

Centipedegrass

Eremechloa ophiuroides;

Folded vernation, mebranous and hairy ligule, stoloniferous

St. Augustinegrass

Stenotaphrum secundatum;

Folded vernation, fringe of hairs on auricle, blunt leaf tip, constricted collar, stoloniferous, leaves with 90 degree twist

Bahiagrass

Paspalum notatum;

Both vernations, membranous ligule, thick stolons

Seashore paspalum

Paspalum vaginatum

Japanese/Korean lawngrass (Zoysiagrass)

Zoysia Japonica;

Rolled vernation, fringe of hairs on auricle, broad continuous collar, stoloniferous

Manilla grass

Zoysia matrella

Buffalograss

Buchloe dactyloides;

Rolled vernation, fringe of hairs on ligule, light green leaves, pubescent leaves, stoloniferous

Kikuyugrass

Pennisetum clandestinum;

Folded vernations, smooth leaves, rhizomatous and stoloniferous

Parts of Grass Plant

Seedhead

Collection of flowering or seeding parts, the actual arrangement: spike, panicle, etc

Spikelet

Unit of seedhead which composes the seeding parts (Whole thing)

Ligule

Junction of blade and sheath. Membranous or hairy, can be tall, short, jagged

Sheath

Tubular portion of leaf that wraps around the stem (Very base of blade)

Auricle

Appendages that protect blade and ligule. Can be slender, claw-like, long or short.

Blade

Upper portion of leaf, responsible for photosynthesis. Judged by length, width, tip, roughness or smoothness

Midrib

Middle of leaf blade

Collar

Area where blade and sheath join. Generally lighter in color.

Stolon

Above ground stem, roots at various intervals

Rhizome

Underground stem that produces new plant

Tiller

Young growth from original base, bunch type growth grasses

Leafbud

Young leaf from rhizome or stolon

Macronutrients

Carbon (C)

CO2; 44% of all nutrient use, naturally present, influenced by aerification

Oxygen (O)

O2; 44% of all nutrient use, naturally present, influenced by aerification

Hydrogen (H)

H2O; 6% of all nutrient use

Nitrogen (N)

NO3-, NH4+; primarily impacts foliar growth, readily leached through soil, not present on soil sample reports

Phosphorus (P)

H2PO4-, HPO4(-2); Primarily affects rates of seedling development, maturation and root growth. Important during establishment

Potassium (K)

K+;Important in maintaining turgor pressure in plants. Affects drought tolerance, cold hardiness, and disease resistance.

Calcium (Ca)

CA(+2); Important in cell division and membrane function. Deficiencies result in poor root and shoot growth.

Magnesium (Mg)

Mg(+2); Important component of chlorophyll. Deficiencies result in foliar chlorosis.

Sulfur (S)

SO4(-2); Needed to form amino acides, proteins, membranes and coenzymes. Deficiencies result in chlorosis.

Micronutrients

Iron (Fe)

Fe(+2), Fe(+3); Important in chlorophyll formation, photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism. Iron deficiencies result in chlorosis of young leaves, not mature.

Manganese (Mn)

Mn (+2); Enzyme activator. May be involved in resistance to certain diseases

Zinc (Zn)

Zn(+2), ZnOH+; Involved in chlorophyll synthesis and amino acid synthesis. Also synthesizes the growth hormone indoleacetic acid

Boron (B)

B(OH)3; DNA synthesis and translocation of sugars

Copper (Cu)

Cu+, Cu(+2); Essential for photosynthesis and a component of certain enzymes

Molybdenum (Mo)

MoO(+4); Component of enzyme that reduces nitrate in plants

Chlorine (Cl)

Cl-; Role in photosynthesis

Turf Diseases: Bacterial

Bacterial Wilt*

Xanthomonas translucens

Bacterial etiolation and decline

Acidovorax avenae

Turf Diseases: Fungal

Anthracnose (Foliar Blight and Basal Rot)*

Colletotrichum cereale;

Susceptible turfgrasses: Primarily annual bluegrass and somewhat creeping bentgrass

Symptoms: Irregularly shaped patches that are yellow to brown in color, leaf lesions that are yellow with black centers, dead foliage and stems are covered with setae called acervuli.

Temps: Over 78 degrees

Needs 10+ hours a day of leaf wetness, also in conditions like compaction, poor drainage, low nitrogen fertility and low mowing height (greens only).

Management tips: Spot water wilt, increase mowing height, decrease overall traffic, convert from poa, and do not core aerate.

Preventative Fungicides: Chlorothalonil, Fludioxonil (Contact), Trifloxystrobin (Penetrant) and Propiconazole (Systemic); Only penetrants and systemic fungicides will provide post control

Ascochyta leaf blight

Ascochyta avenae

Bermudagrass decline

Gaeumannomyces graminis;

Susceptible turfgrasses: Bermudagrass

Symptoms: chlorotic patches of turf 8-24 inches in diameter, the turf thins out and may eventually be completely killed in these patches, chlorotic leaf blades may develop next to green shoots at the margins of the diseased area, roots of diseased bermudagrass are brown and without feeder roots and root hairs, the root surface appears as dark brown hypal runners

Conditions: Fall and winter months, cool moist conditions, weakened or damaged turf, indicates management is key to control

Management tips: Raise mowing heights on greens, find management practice that lead to weakened turf

Fungicide: Fenarimol (Penetrant) preventatively in Fall

Blister smut

Jamesdicksonia dactylidis

Brown patch*

C3 Rhizoctonia solani;

Susceptibel turfgrasses: All cool season turfgrasses

Symptoms: Rings or patches of blighted turfgrass that measures 5 inches to more than 10 feet in diameter, causes leaf spots and smoke rings that can be seen on margins of patches early in morning, leaves may regrow from crown in damaged areas, lesions have tan centers and dark brown to black margins

Conditions: Favored by relatively high humidity, temps over 85 in day and 60 at night, occurs in areas with 10+ hours of leaf wetness for consecutive days, disease is more severe when HOC is lower than recommended for species

Management tips: Low N, med P, high K, avoid N when disease is active, increase the HOC, increase air circulation, minimize amount of shade, irrigate early in day, improve drainage, reduce thatch, remove dew early in day

Fungicides: Azoxystrobin, Propiconazole, Pyraclostrobin

Large patch*

C4 Rhizoctonia solani

Susceptibel turfgrasses: Bermudagrass

Symptoms: Circular yellow, light brwon patches from 5 inches to several feet in diameter, NO leaf lesions, sometimes forms gray smoke rings around disease patch, damnage is generally superficial but thinning can occur during prolonged periods of wet weather.

Temps: 50-65

Conditions: 10+ hours of leaf wetness for several days, more severe in excessive thatch and high nitrogen levels

Management tips: Improve drainage, lower nitrogen use and increase potassium, increase circulation, reduce shade and thatch

Fungicides: Azoxystrobin, Propiconazole, Pyraclostrobin

Brown ring patch

Waitea circinata var. circinata

Susceptible turfgrasses: Annual bluegrass, roughstalk bluegrass and creeping bentgrass

Symptoms: Yellow (more brown in bentgrass) regular to irregular rings that may be come necrotic, from a few inches to a foot or more in diameter, can degrade thatch causing sunken spots, easily confused with yellow patch but tolerate higher temperatures, fungi will colonize in upper root zone slowing recovery of turf

Conditions: 60-85 degrees but optimal 75-80, more common under dry conditions compared to brown patch, and brown patch is more common in low nitrogen situations

Management Tips: Raise HOC, reduce compaction, avoid drought stress, top dress and aerate to avoid thatch

Fungicides: Polyoxin-D, Fludioxonil, Flutolanil, Azoxystrobin

Brown stripe

Mycosphaerella recutita

Cladosporium eyespot

Cladosporium phlei

Copper spot

Gloeocercospora sorghi

Coprinus snow mold

Coprinopsis psychromorbida

Crown rust, Leaf rust, Stem rust, and Stripe rust

Crown: Puccinia coronata

Leaf: Puccinia brachypodii

Stem: Puccinia graminis

Stripe: Puccinia striiformis

Susceptible grasses: Kentcuky bluegrass, annual bluegrass, ryegrass, old bentgrass cultivars, tall and fine fescue, zoysiagrass and bermudagrass

Symptoms: Starts with light yellow fleckson leaf blades and sheaths, flecks enlarge elongate and turn yellow in color, infected areas rupture releasing spores that are yellowish-orange to reddish-brown in color, leaf blades yellow from tip to sheath, a severe infection can cause the shoot to turn yellow to reddish-brown in color and slow in growth, the turf may appear thin as individual shoots die

Conditions: Early spring through fall, favor moist low light areas, typically 65-85 degrees, severe infections occur on slow growing turf with low nitrogen levels and/or water stress

Management Tips: Convert from Kentucky blue or P. Ryegrass to a less sucepible species or cultivar, adequate levels of nitrogen, remove clippings, reduce thatch, reduce shade and improve circulation, manage leaf wetness and irrigation

Fungicides: Strobilurin, and DMI's (Fenarimol, Propiconazole, Myclobutanil)

Curvularia blight or Fading Out

multiple Curvularia spp.

Susceptible turfgrasses: Perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, all bentgrasses, bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass

Symptoms: Indefinite yellow/green dappled pattern extending down from leaf tip, affected area turns brown then gray then dies, reddish brown margin may or may not be present, in bentgrass affected parts of blade are tan instead of brown or gray

Conditions: Plant is usually very stressed, can occur in early spring, more severe with significant freeze injury or winter kill, slow growing bermudagrass is susceptible, and in late fall bermudagrass is susceptible if it has been stressed by drought and improper fertility

Management tips: proper soil ferility, mow during dormancy and remove clippings, reduce compaction and problems with nematodes

Fungicides: Chlorothalonil, Iprodione

Dead spot* (Bentgrass Dead spot)

Ophiosphaerella agrostis

Susceptible turfgrasses: Creeping bentgrass and Bermudagrass

Symptoms: Small sunken reddish-brown or orange-rust spots about 1/2 inch in width growing to 3-4 inches, edges more red colored, center can turn green, distinctive black fruiting bodies readily seen with hand lens

Conditions: Open, sunny locations and hot dry weather, mostly occurs in young greens with high sand content, does not occur in native soils (only greens), naturally declines as grass matures

Management tips: Maintain balanced fertility, avoid stress and traffic

Fungicides: Azoxystrobin, Propiconazole, Fludioxonil

Dollar spot*

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa

Susceptible turfgrasses: all warm and cool season species

Symptoms: Sunken, circular patch up to 2 inches in diameter on greens and several inches on higher mown turf, turn from brown to straw color and may eventually coalesce (join), leaves will have lesions that can extend the full width of the leaf blade and will turn from yellow-green to straw color with a red-brown border

Conditions: 59-86 degrees and continuous high humidity, particularly warm days and cool nights with intense dews, infects turf low in nitrogen and is most severe in dry soils

Management tips: Adequate use of nitrogen in spring and early summer, reduce thatch, increase circulation, irrigate infrequently and deeply, remove dew

Fungicides: Propiconazole, Chlorothalonil, Azoxystrobin, Fludioxonil and mixtures

Drechslera leaf spots and melting-out

multiple Drechslera and

Marielliottia sp.

Susceptible turfgrasses: Creeping red fescue, kentucky bluegrass, annual bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, some varieties of bentgrass and bermudagrass

Symptoms: Purplish-brown to black spots with tan centers on the leaf blade and sheath, lower leaves become shriveled and blighted, in severe cases almost all leaves and tillers will die or melt out

Conditions: temps between 40-80, and occurs in areas of 10+ hours of foliar wetness for consecutive days, favors high levels of nitrogen and low mowing heights

Management Tips: Increase HOC, Reduce turf stress by walk mowing greens, avoid high rates of water soluble nitrogen in spring, minimize shade, irrigate turf deeply and infrequently, reduce thatch in spring and fall for cool season turf, reduce thatch in summer for bermudagrass

Fungicides: Strobilurins; Azoxystrobin, Trifloxystrobin, Pyraclostrobin, Fluoxastrobin; Iprodione, Chlorothalonil

Endophytic fungi

Neotyphodium coenophialum, N. lolii,

Epichloe typhina

Fairy Ring

Species of Agraricales and Gastromycetales,

mostly in the genera Agaricus, Calvatia,

Chlorophyllum, Clitocybe, Lepiota,

Lycoperdon, Marasmius, Scleroderma,

and Tricholoma.

Susceptible turfgrasses: All species of warm and cool season

Symtoms: Can be superficial or damaging, above ground mushrooms may or may not occur, typically appear as outer rings of darker colored turf

Conditions: Typically occurs when turfgrass is most actively growing, will occur in cool season turn in mild winter climates, can inhibit overseed germination in due to hydrophobic nature

Management tips: Avoid root zone mixes with high levels of undecomposed organic materials, reduce thatch, aerify, irrigate deeply, nitrogen fertilizer will mask some symptoms

Fungicides: Flutolanil + Revolution (wetting agent), may need to pencil tine area to move fungicide into root zone, will take half a season and possibly a year before effects are seen

Flag smut

Urocystis agropyri

Gray leaf spot*

Pyricularia grisea

Susceptible turfgrasses: Primarily St. Augustinegrass and perennial ryegrass, also affects bermudagrass, centipedegrass, bentgrass and fescue

Symptoms: In St. Augustinegrass first appears as small brown spots on leaves and stems, spots quickly enlarge to 1/4 inch and become bluish-gray in color, mature lesions are tan to gray and have depressed centers with irregular margins purple to brown in color, Perennial ryegrass and tall fescue first show small soaked lesions that turn brown, may have yellow halo and leaf tips will have a twisted or fishhook shape

Conditions: Favors temps 80-90 degrees, found in areas with high nitrogen levels that are stressed via drought or compaction, disease is most severe during extended hot and humid periods

Fungicides: Strobilurins, Tiophanate-methyl (Cleary 3336), and Chlorothalonil and DMI's

Gray snow mold

Typhula incarnata

Susceptible turfgrasses: All species of cool season turf

Symptoms: Evident after snow melts, patches are light brown gray or straw colored that measure less than 10 inches in diameter, patches may increase to several feet and coalesce, rust brown or black colored sclerotia also appear on the infected leaves

Conditions: Snow cover is necessary for this disease to cause damage, most severe when snow cover lasts more than 90 days

Management Tips: Mow regularly until dormancy, avoid heavy applications of water soluble nitrogen sources in late fall, prevent excess snow accumulation, prevent snow compaction on turf, remove snow from turf when possible, lightly fertilize in spring to encourage growth, use fungicides in fall preventatively and in spring to promote quick recovery

Fungicides: PCNB due to long residual, must be applied around Thanksgiving before first snow cover, DMI's, Strobilurins and Dicarboximides may be used in more serious cases

Leaf and sheath spot

Waitea circinata var. zeae, W. circinata var. oryzae

Susceptible turfgrasses: All species of warm and cool-season grasses

Symptoms: Typically causes thinned areas resembling scalped areas or semi-circular thinned rings in warm season turf, can be commonly confused with fairy ring or hydrophobic areas, in cool season turf small patches of blighted turf can measure 5 inches or more in diameter, may exist in conjunction with brown patch, disease can often have a darker red/orange hue, symptoms do not occur as quickly as brown patch or large patch, and do not occur in same conditions

Conditions: Most favored by temps 83-97 degrees, can be active in heat of summer, drought stressed turf and low water quality that is high in carbonates and salinity is more subject to infection

Management Tips: Maintain proper nitrogen rates, increase HOC on greens in drought conditions, increase air circulation, irrigate early in day, manage or leach salts from soil profile with deep irrigation, reduce thatch, use fans to lower canopy temps, manage brown patch well to avoid the onset of this disease

Fungicides: Chlorothalonil, Azoxystrobin, Propiconazole, Fludioxonil

Leptosphaerulina leaf blight

Leptosphaerulina trifolii

Mastigosporium leaf spot (Leaf fleck)

Mastigosporium rubricosum

Microdochium/Fusarium patch (Pink Snow Mold)

Microdochium nivale

Susceptible turfgrasses: most species of cool season

Symptoms: water soaked patches that are yellow tan or salmon colored and measure 1-8 inches or more in diameter, patches may coalesce, will be pale pink around edges, spores are produced in white or salmon colored sporodochia that are found on dead tissue, blighting can occur in streak from equipment tracking

Conditions: Favors temps less than 60, more severe where snow has fallen on unfrozen soil or in cold rainy weather

Management Tips: Regularly mow until dormancy, avoid heavy applications of nitrogen in late fall, maintain balanced fertility, avoid using lime, reduce thatch, prevent excess snow, reduce shade and disease severity, use fungicides in the fall and reapply as snow cover melts

Fungicides: PCNB due to long residual, must be applied around Thanksgiving before first snow cover, DMI's, Strobilurins and Dicarboximides may be used in more serious cases

Necrotic ring spot*

Ophiosphaerella korrae

Susceptible turfgrasses: Kentucky bluegrass, annual bluegrass, rough bluegrass and fine-leaf fescue

Symptoms: First appears as small light green spots and progresses to thinned yellow to light green circular patches up 3-15 inches in diameter, can expand up to 3 feet in diameter and will eventually turn brown or straw colored and die, roots and rhizomes turn brown to black, grass may recolonize in center

Conditions: Temperature up to 80 degrees and more severe in higher temperatures, initiates in moist soil and drought conditions, seeded sights as well as sodded sites in newly cleared woodlands are susceptible, also found in areas with compacted soil and high nitrogen areas in spring and summer

Management Tips: Raise height, reduce compaction, moderate to high amounts of phosphorous and potash, adequate nitrogen, minimize shade, lightly irrigate to cool truf, avoid drought stress, top dress and reduce thatch

Fungicides: Propiconazole, Azoxystrobin, Chlorothalonil

Phyllosticta leaf blight

Multiple species of Phyllosticta and

Guignardia

Physoderma leaf spot and leaf streak

Physoderma graminis

Pink snow mold

See Microdochium patch

Powdery mildew*

Blumeria graminis

Susceptible turfgrasses: Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, ryegrass, fine leaf fescue and bermudagrass

Symptoms: First appears on leaves as individual turfts of fine white mycelium, the tufts enlarge and coalesce causing the leaves to have a grayish-white color, severely infected turfs turn yellow then tan and brown in color, stressed turf that is severely infected can die but mostly becomes thinned especially in shaded areas

Conditions: Favored by humid, cloudy weather with temperatures between 60-72 degrees, occurs in areas under stress with low light and high humidity, also occurs in areas with poor air circulation, does not require film of water to infect

Management Tips: Avoid drought stress, avoid lush growth, raise mowing height, improve circulation, convert to more shade tolerant turf types

Fungicides: Propiconazole, Azoxystrobin, Chlorthalonil,

Pythium foliar blight*

Pythium aphanidermatum, P. graminicola,

P. ultimum

Susceptible turfgrasses: All species but especially annual bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, bentgrasses, tall fescue and bermudagrass

Symptoms: Appears suddenly during hot humid weather, causes gready brown circular spots that are initially about 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter and then rapidly enlarge in size, spots are water soaked and dark colored early in the morning, form fluffy white masses of fungal mycelium and can coalesce to form large irregular areas of dead turf, may appear bronze-orange in color

Conditions: Favors nighttime temps over 68 degrees and occurs in areas that experience more than 10 hours a day of leaf wetness for several consecutive days, found in wettest areas of turf in areas of poor drainage and circulation, lush growing turf is particularly susceptible

Management tips: Avoid mowing wet turf and spreading mycelium, reduce thatch, limit nitrogen, increase air circulation, reduce shade, avoid late afternoon watering, improve drainage, irrigate deeply and infrequently

Fungicides: Azoxystrobin, Propiconazole, Propamocarb, Mefenoxam, Chlorthalonil, Cyazofamid, Fluopicolide

Pythium root and crown rot*

Pythium aristosporum, P. arrhenomanes,

Pythium volutum

Susceptible turfgrasses: Species grown on putting greens

Symptoms: Typically nondistinctive, can appear as yellow irregularly shaped patches, affect turf will be thin off color and slow growing, root system will be stunted with reduced volume and vigor, NO foliar mycelium

Conditions: Cool season temps 32-50, warm season between 70-90, occurs in areas with high soil moisture, poor drainage and low light, affects locations with low mowing height and excessive wear

Management Tips: Increase mowing height, appropriate nutrient levels, reduce mowing frequency, reduce compaction and shade, improve drainage, apply low amounts of nitrogen in spring as roots form

Fungicides: Not much is known, apply preventatively, Cyazofamid, Mefenoxam, Propamocarb; Apply Ethazole curatively; Apply after rain during growing season, All fungicides must be watered into root zone

Pythium root dysfunction

Pythium volutum, P. arrhenomanes, P.

aristosporum, several other Pythium species

Rapid blight

Labyrinthula terrestris

Red thread and Pink patch

Red- Laetisaria fuciformis, Pink- Limonomyces roseipellis

Susceptible turfgrasses: All turfgrasses but especially severe on fine-leaf fescue and perennial ryegrass

Symptoms: Red thread causes reddish brown patches 1-4 inches in diameter growing up to 2 feet, and red sclerotia; Pink patch causes a gelatinous mass of pink mycelium with water soaked leaves

Conditions: Red thread thrives between 40-85 degrees and low nitrogen areas, also favors 10+ hours a day of foliar wetness. Pink patch usually develops in the presence of red thread, occurs under same conditions and timing

Management Tips: Mow frequently and collect clippings, balanced fertility, reduce shade, maintain pH of 6.5-7.0, increase air circulation, irrigate infrequently and deeply

Fungicides: Azoxystrobin, Propiconazole, Chlorothalonil

Root decline of warm-season grasses

Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis,

Magnaporthiopsis incrustans,

G. wongoonoo

Septoria leaf spot

several Septoria species

Snow scald

Sclerotinia borealis

Southern blight

Athelia rolfsii

Susceptible turfgrasses: Bentgrass, bluegrass, bermudagrass, ruegrass and tall fescue

Symptoms: Most common in warm regions, begins as yellow circular patched, becoming chlorotic, then reddish-brown, patches become thin during summer with grass being killed in rings that may grow to several feet, mycelium may be visible on ring edges when moisture is present, white sclerotia are produced in large numbers on dead grass, crescent shaped patches are common

Conditions: 75-95 degrees, nighttime above 70 degree, most severe under hot moisture saturated conditions such as wet weather following a drought period, pH below 6.5 and soils high in organic matter encourage this disease, mycelium move rapidly and extensively

Mangement Tips: Reduce thatch, manage pH, use ammonium sulfate on tees and greens as nitrogen source

Fungicides: Azoxystrobin, Chlorothalonil, Propiconazole

Speckled snow mold

Typhula ishikariensis