Fungus-among-us

Fungus season is here….There are three main types of fungal diseases on turf to keep an eye out for when disease pressure is high.  They are Summer Patch on Kentucky Bluegrass, Brown Patch on Fescue and Dollar Spot on both types.  There a couple ways to determine if you have a fungus outbreak on turf.  First, you must judge the disease pressure factors which are heat, humidity, moisture content and nighttime temperatures above 65 degrees.  Once you've determined these factors are all present, the next step is to probe the soil of the stressed/brown area to ensure that there isn't a rock or debris shallow below the surface that is causing the damage rather than fungus.  The most common mis-diagnosis among turfgrass professionals and homeowners alike is distinguishing between drought stress and fungus outbreaks.  Once, you've determined that there isn't a drought/hot spot related problem, get down to inspect the individual blades.  Start by inspecting the blades on the outer portion of the brown/diseased area.  Any active fungus will be active on the leaf blades just along the margin from diseased turf to healthy turf.  Once you have located that area, pull a couple individual blades and inspect the leaf for lesions or brown areas along the margins of the blade.  If there are noticeable lesions on the individual blade, inspect the outer edges of the lesion for a red outline.  The outline would separate the brown portions from the green on the rest of the blade.  If there is indeed a red outline, which is also referred to as a "fireline", then you have active fungus and treatment is recommended.  If you have any further questions on turfgrass diseases please contact your turf manager or go to https://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=586 (Kansas State) for pictures and further information on each disease.