South Africa Turf Disease Guide - Dollar Spot
Susceptible Turfgrass:
Most species of warm and cool season turfgrass
Symptoms:
Dollar Spot causes sunken, circular patches that measure up to 5 cm in diameter on golf greens and several inches on higher mown turf. The patches turn from brown to straw colour and may eventually coalesce, forming irregularly shaped areas. Infected leaves may display small lesions that turn from yellow green to straw colour with a reddish-brown border. The lesions can extend the full width of the leaf. Multiple lesions may occur on a single leaf blade.
Conditions Favouring Disease:
Dollar spot is favoured by temperatures between 15°C to 30°C and continuous high humidity. This disease is particularly favoured by warm days, cool nights, and intense dews. It also infects areas with low levels of nitrogen and becomes more severe in dry soils.
Integrated Turf Management Tips:
- Use an adequate level of nitrogen, particularly in the Spring and early Summer
- Mow grass at regular intervals
- Reduce thatch
- Increase the air circulation
- Irrigate turf deeply and as infrequently as possible to avoid drought stress
- Remove dew from the turf early in the day
- Convert to a turfgrass cultivar (especially for Bentgrass) that is more tolerant to dollar spot
- Apply contact and/or penetrant fungicides on a preventive basis
Just tap the links below to read about other turf diseases. Or download the full free guide at the bottom.
- Anthracnose
- Brown Patch
- Brown Ring Patch (Waitea Patch)
- Dollar Spot
- Fairy Ring
- Superficial Fairy Ring
- Grey Leaf Spot
- Large Patch
- Microdochium Patch
- Powdery Mildew
- Pythium Blight
- Pythium Root Rot (Root Dysfunction)
- Red Thread
- Rhizoctonia Zeae (Rhizoctonia leaf and sheath spot)
- Rusts: Crown, Leaf and Stem
- Spring Dead Spot
- Summer Patch
- Take-all Patch and
- Take-all Root Rot
If you would like to have a complete copy with all the turf diseases, you can download it on the link below.
