Turfgrass disease signs

Symptoms of Pythium

Circular reddish brown spots in the turf,

Water-soaked, slimy, and dark grass leaves,

Purplish gray or white cottony fungal mycelia on the outer margins of spots,

Thinning, off-color appearance, and slow growth,

Stunted plants with narrow yellow leaves,

Greasy or water-soaked appearance,

Rapid turf decline,

Mycelium presence on the grass surface

Symptoms of Dollar Spot

small, circular, straw-colored, sunken spots that rarely exceed 2-3 inches in diameter

Symptoms of Helminthosporium

Leaf spots with a reddish border and a grey center,

Leaf spots causing death of the leaf blade and crown

Symptoms of Brown Patch

Circular or irregular brown patches ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter. Patch edges may appear water-soaked and have a reddish-brown halo. Blades within the patch turn yellow, then brown, and eventually die.

Symptoms of Yellow Patch

irregular patches or rings up to 3 feet in diameter that are yellow or white in color

Biological signs of Pythium

White cobwebby mycelium when humidity is high and non-septate hyphae that is randomly branching

Biological signs of Brown Patch (Rhizoctonia solani)

Cobwebby mycellia growth in the "Smoke Ring" of the patch early in the morning when dew is present and septate hyphae that branch at 90 degrees

Biological signs of Yellow Patch (Rhizoctonia cerealis)

Hyphal cells are binucleate

Biological signs of Dollar Spot

45 degree branching and White, cottony, or cobwebby growth of fungal mycelium when dew is present.

Biological signs of Helminthosporium

Large dark cigar shaped spores

Fusarium spores

Helminthosporium spores

Curvularia spores

Rhizoctonia (Causal agent for: Brown Patch and Yellow Patch)

Sclerotinia (Causal agent for Dollar Spot)

Pythium (Causal agent for: Pythium blight and Pythium root rot)