Fall Disease Cleanup

As summer draws to a close, it’s time to start discussing common fall diseases and prevention, as well as what fungicide applications to use for disease control before the season ends. With the proper treatments, fertility plans, and water management, you can set yourself up for a clean slate come spring. Here are five diseases to pay attention to this fall.

Pythium Blight

Pythium blight occurs on bermudagrass greens when it’s rainy and cool in the fall. Leaving sunken, discolored spots on the course, Pythium blight is sometimes confused with leaf spot. Treatment options for Pythium blight include CYA 345, Segway, Mefenoxam, and Serata, most of which also have preventative effects.

Leaf Spot

One of the more common and easily treatable diseases on bermudagrass greens, leaf spot starts as small reddish spots on the turf. The spots eventually coalesce into larger ones, which accounts for the confusion with Pythium blight. There are a plethora of options for treating leaf spot and some of those include Maxtima, CLT 720, Lexicon, Fame C, and Zoxy T.

Microdochium Patch 

More common on cool-season grasses, Microdochium patch is sometimes confused with Pythium blight and leaf spot. This disease appears as brownish spots that thrive on short grasses like golf course greens. Some highly effective options include Zoxy-T, Densicor, and Interface Stressgard. These also treat Microdochium patch in addition to leaf spot, making them good options if you’re dealing with one or both diseases.

Dollar Spot

Fall is the time to buckle down on dollar spot to prevent it from returning in the spring because the disease can survive the winter if not treated. Dollar spot creates a sunken patch of turf about the size of a silver dollar, which sometimes develops mycelium in the early morning. As with leaf spot there are a ton of options; some of my favorites include CLT 720, Encartis, and Maxtima.

Pythium Root Rot:

This disease is not locked into a certain time of year; rather it develops during periods of excessive moisture/rainfall or where drainage is inadequate.  Symptoms include yellowish spots that appear in non-uniform patterns. In most cases, the roots will take on a darker color. Effective treatment options include Serata, CYA 345, and Segway (I also recommend adding Zoxy to the tank mix for better results, particularly the CYA 345 or Segway).

Michael Hileman
Advanced Turf Golf Sales Manager