16th Days of Education • 18 and 19 November 2014 Hotel Maestoso

16th Days of Education • 18 and 19 November 2014
Hotel Maestoso – Lipica, Slovenia
Golf Course Management • December 2013
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/baltusrol-s-kuhns-on-penn-state-turf-program
Congratulations to Mel Lucas!
*** GCSAA Distinguished Service Award ***
Snow Mold and Fairy Ring
Management Update
Mike Fidanza, Ph.D.
Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences
Pennsylvania State University
Berks Campus
Reading, Pennsylvania • USA
Snow Mold
Pathogen:
Microdochium nivale (Fusarium nivale)
Common
Names:
Pink Snow Mold, Pink Snow Mould
Fusarium Patch, Microdochium Patch
Hosts:
Cool-Season Turfgrasses
- Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)
- Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)
Target:
Foliar (Blight)
www.uoguelph.ca
Washington State University
M. Fidanza
Pink Snow Mold:
~ cold, wet weather
~ active -1 to 16 C (30 to 60 F)
~ fall / winter / spring
~ snow cover not necessary for infection
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Avoid lush turf conditions as winter approaches
- avoid heavy late season N ( > 25 kg N/ha )
(tends to extend “hardening off” period)
- moderate supplemental moisture
- reduce leaf wetness periods
buckeyeturf.osu.edu
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Potassium suppresses Microdochium nivale
Source: Syngenta
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Potassium suppresses Microdochium nivale
J. Dempsey, University of West of England
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Improve surface drainage
M. Giese
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Improve drainage access
M. Giese
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Remove excessive thatch
~ fungus survives in thatch and leaf residue
• Remove tree leaves to avoid matting
www.apsnet.org
www.utahpests.usu.edu
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Mow turf until dormant
- limits matting from tall plants
- avoid lowering mowing height
150 mm snow
10 mm HOC
- 5 C air temp
(Minnesota, USA)
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Use snow fences to reduce snow accumulation
Pheasant Run GC
Turfgrass Cultural Practices to Reduce Snow Mold
• Utilize tolerant cultivars or species
Differential susceptibility
of creeping bentgrass
cultivars:
M. Giese
Fungicides to Manage Snow Mold
• iprodione (Chipco 26GT)
• propiconazole (Banner MAXX)
• triadimefon (Bayleton)
• azoxystrobin (Heritage)
• pyraclostrobin (Insignia)
STERF, 2013
USGA Green Section
Fairy Ring
John Kaminski, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
Mike Fidanza, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, Reading, PA.
Example of
fairy ring mushrooms
emerging in turf
Chapman Tanner
Fairy ring fungi (basidiomycetes):
•wood-decaying fungi (prefer lignin)
•organic matter
•colonize soil (edaphic)
•colonize thatch (lectophilic)
turfgrass
thatch
soil (rootzone)
How does fairy ring affect turf?
– the fungal mycelium in the soil will coat sand and
soil particles (…particles become hydrophobic or
water-repellent)
– colonized area can become severely hydrophobic
– soil is difficult to re-wet
– decomposition or organic matter and thatch
– release of toxic compounds in the soil rootzone
– depletion of available N
– loss of turf due to drought and other factors
Decomposition of organic matter.
Fairy Ring Symptoms
– rings or arcs
– dead or unhealthy turf
– dark green and stimulated turf
- decomposition of organic matter and release of ammonium-N (NH4)
- NH4 is processed by soil microorganisms into nitrates
- nitrates contribute to green and growing turf
- turf can react similar to a high dose of nitrate fertilizer
– mushrooms
– drought or water-stress indications
- hydrophobic or water-repellent areas
- “localized dry spots”
Fairy ring … where, when, why?
•greens
•fairways
•tees
•roughs
•sports fields
•lawns
•everywhere
•spring
•summer
•autumn
•fall
•anytime
Fairy ring symptoms commonly associated
with wet/dry cycles, especially in turf under
low fertility and low mowing height.
Aeration
Aeration.
Wetting Agents for Golf Courses:
- irrigation
- syringing
- surface applied/watered-in
- spot treatment
- fairy ring mgmt … monthly wetting agent program
Lolium sp. Fairway – Pennsylvania, USA
% Plot Area Type-I Fairy Ring
40
30
20
10
0
L water/ha:
Heritage Heritage Heritage Heritage Insignia Insignia Insignia Insignia Check
+ Rev
+ Rev
+ Rev
+ Rev
800
1600
800
1600
Products: Heritage 0.75 kg ai/ha, Insignia 0.5 kg ai/ha; Revolution 19 L/ha.
FR = Agaricus.
Lolium sp. Fairway – Pennsylvania, USA
% Plot Area Type-I Fairy Ring
40
30
20
10
0
Heritage
2 WAT
Heritage + Revolution
Revolution
Untreated
4 WAT
Products: Heritage 0.75 kg ai/ha; Revolution 19 L/ha; appl. in 1600 L water/ha.
FR = Agaricus.
Water Drop Penetration Test:
~use to detect water repellency in
fairy ring and localized dry patch areas
“Spot-Treating” Severe Fairy Ring
~ “poke” or “punch” many holes
~20 L water
~10 to 30 mL Revolution wetting agent
~1 to 2 g Heritage fungicide
~mix thoroughly and drench
~water-in immediately
Fairy Ring - Summary
•cultural practices (aeration; water management)
•soil moisture status
- irrigation/water use
- soil hydrophobicity
- soil surfactant use
- minimize impact of wet/dry cycles
•fungicide use
- aeration
- soil surfactant use
- water-carrier volume
- post-appl. irrigation
- preventive/curative
Thank You!
Mike Fidanza, Ph.D.
Email: fidanza@psu.edu
Twitter: @MikeFidanza