July 12, 2007
University of Arkansas, Turfgrass Science Program (http://turf.uark.edu/)
1. Turfgrass Field Day (Wednesday, August 1) – Sign up now!
2. New Extension Publications
- Liming Your Lawn (FSA6134)
3. Brown Patch of Tall Fescue
Read the entire turf tip at: http://turf.uark.edu/turfhelp/archives/071207.html
Turfgrass Field Day
The University of Arkansas turf field day will be on August 1 this year. The field day is located in Fayetteville at the Agricultural Research Center. Field day provides individuals the opportunity to hear the latest up-to-date information about new products and research studies as well as providing an opportunity to network with others in the turf industry. Turfgrass research tours are available for those in lawn care/landscaping as well as those in golf/sports turf. Lunch, a hat and an information packet are provided. An afternoon program on handling pesticides is also available for pesticide recertification training. Pre-registration deadline is July 25! Sign up now!
New Extension Publication
Liming Your Lawn (FSA6134) – Do you have questions about liming your lawn? This publication guides you through the steps of liming your lawn. Click here to read the full publication.
Brown Patch of Tall Fescue
Turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arunidnacea) is the most commonly used cool-season turfgrass species for lawns in Arkansas. Approximately 12% of Arkansas lawns are tall fescue. Tall fescue produces an attractive lawn in fall and spring and even maintains some green color during winter (Figure A). However, it is susceptible to environmental stresses and pathogens during the summer that can dramatically decrease its turf quality. Brown patch of tall fescue is the most common disease of tall fescue lawns. It is caused by the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. Under favorable conditions (night temperatures above 68° with high relative humidity) this disease can develop rapidly. Typically, the symptoms start out as small circular or irregular shaped patches. Lesions initially develop on the leaves, and the turf will turn off-color and quickly fade to a light brown (Figure B). The patches may be 2 inches in diameter or much larger at 2 or more feet in diameter (Figure B).
One of the greatest tools that homeowners and turf managers have at their disposal in reducing the severity of this disease is to implement proper cultural controls. The first step in any good cultural control program is to select cultivars that have some level of resistance to the pathogen. Figures C and D illustrate the impact that choosing a good cultivar can have on the quality of tall fescue during periods of disease activity. Table 1 provides information on the percent brown patch infection and intensity of infection on commonly available tall fescue seed blends. Tall fescue seed blends with low disease severity should be used for planting and renovating turf. Table 2 provides a listing of individual cultivars, their brown patch resistance, and turf quality. Cultivars with both good resistance to brown patch and good turf quality should be selected and used in seed blends.
Other cultural practices that help reduce brown patch severity are;
- Reducing the amount of nitrogen fertility and applying 2/3 or more of the nitrogen fertilizer during the fall. Avoid applying nitrogen fertilizers to tall fescue lawns in June, July, or August.
- Use slow-release sources of nitrogen during spring fertilizer applications.
- Irrigate lawns deeply and infrequently and try to irrigate between the hours of 5:00 am and 7:00 am. Reducing moisture will help to reduce disease severity.
If all else fails, a curative application of a fungicide can be applied. There are many fungicides labeled for control of Rhizoctonia spp.
Table 1. Brown patch percent infection and intensity of commonly available tall fescue seed blends. To help select the best cultivars, a severity rating can also be calculated by multiplying percent infection by intensity. Tall fescue seed blends with low disease severity should be used for planting and renovating turf.
Table 2. Brown Patch Incidence in the 2001 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Tall Fescue Test.
Cultivar name |
Mean Percent Brown Patch in 2005 (Fayetteville, AR). Low values indicate less disease. |
Mean turf quality across four years (Fayetteville, AR). High values indicate better turf quality with 9 being optimum. |
|
|
|
KY-31 E+ |
12.7 |
3.0 |
AVENGER (L1Z) |
14.3 |
5.9 |
R-4 |
15.2 |
6.1 |
OLYMPIC GOLD |
15.4 |
5.3 |
APACHE III (PST-5A1) |
15.6 |
6.0 |
BLADE RUNNER (ROBERTS SM4) |
15.6 |
5.4 |
KALAHARI |
15.7 |
5.7 |
CAYENNE |
15.8 |
5.9 |
TURBO (CAS-MC1) |
15.9 |
6.0 |
HOUNDOG 6 (CIS-TF-67) |
16.9 |
5.8 |
COCHISE III (018) |
17.3 |
6.2 |
SOLARA (BE1) |
17.6 |
6.1 |
TAR HEEL |
17.7 |
5.1 |
SERENGETI (GO-OD2) |
18.0 |
5.1 |
ULTIMATE (01-RUTOR2) |
18.0 |
5.5 |
TITANIUM (SBM) |
18.1 |
5.4 |
MRF 26 |
18.7 |
5.7 |
PST-5BAB |
19.1 |
5.3 |
WOLFPACK |
19.1 |
5.3 |
PST-5LO |
19.4 |
5.6 |
MAGELLAN (OD-4) |
19.5 |
5.8 |
DOMINION |
19.6 |
5.3 |
RAPTOR (CIS-TF-33) |
19.6 |
5.4 |
ENDEAVOR |
19.8 |
5.5 |
JUSTICE (RB2-01) |
19.8 |
5.9 |
TAR HEEL II (PST-5TR1) |
19.9 |
5.3 |
BARVADO (BAR FA 1005) |
20.0 |
6.0 |
PIEDMONT (MRF 27) |
20.1 |
5.6 |
PST-5FZD |
20.1 |
5.5 |
SIGNIA |
20.1 |
5.5 |
FALCON IV (F-4) |
20.4 |
5.3 |
PICK ZMG |
20.4 |
5.5 |
PST-5BZ |
20.5 |
5.5 |
BARROBUSTO (BAR FA 1003) |
20.8 |
5.7 |
GUARDIAN-21 (ROBERTS DOL) |
20.8 |
5.5 |
FIVE POINT (MCN-RC) |
21.1 |
5.6 |
PICASSO |
21.1 |
5.7 |
SILVERADO II (PST-578) |
21.1 |
5.4 |
CONSTITUTION (ATF-593) |
21.3 |
5.6 |
FOCUS |
21.4 |
5.4 |
GREENKEEPER WAF (K01-WAF) |
21.6 |
6.0 |
PADRE (NJ4) |
21.6 |
5.7 |
SR 8250 |
21.6 |
5.3 |
MRF 210 |
21.8 |
5.7 |
INFERNO (JT-99) |
22.0 |
6.1 |
RIVERSIDE (PROSEEDS 5301) |
22.3 |
5.7 |
REMBRANDT |
22.4 |
5.3 |
LEXINGTON (UT-RB3) |
22.5 |
5.8 |
PST-53T |
22.5 |
5.9 |
ESCALADE (01-ORU1) |
22.6 |
5.1 |
DYNASTY |
23.2 |
5.0 |
MUSTANG 3 |
23.3 |
5.5 |
FINELAWN ELITE (DLSD) |
23.4 |
5.9 |
PST-5NAS |
23.4 |
5.3 |
PURE GOLD |
23.4 |
5.0 |
REBEL EXEDA |
23.4 |
6.1 |
SILVERSTAR (PST-5ASR) |
23.5 |
5.7 |
MASTERPIECE |
24.0 |
5.4 |
B-7001 |
24.3 |
5.4 |
GO-SIU2 |
24.3 |
4.3 |
JAGUAR 3 |
24.3 |
5.1 |
PROSPECT |
24.3 |
5.2 |
JT-12 |
24.5 |
5.9 |
JT-9 |
24.6 |
5.3 |
TAHOE (CAS-157) |
24.6 |
5.2 |
TITAN LTD. |
24.6 |
4.7 |
COYOTE |
24.7 |
5.4 |
PST-5S12 |
24.7 |
5.8 |
SCORPION II (ATF 799) |
24.7 |
5.1 |
SR 8600 |
24.7 |
5.4 |
BILTMORE |
24.8 |
5.8 |
MILLENNIUM |
24.8 |
5.8 |
REGIMENT II (SRX 805) |
25.1 |
5.2 |
NINJA 2 (ATF-800) |
25.3 |
5.6 |
FIDELITY (PST-5T1) |
25.4 |
5.7 |
REBEL SENTRY |
25.5 |
5.4 |
PST-5KU |
25.9 |
5.6 |
QUEST |
26.0 |
5.9 |
CAS-ED |
26.5 |
5.7 |
ATF 704 |
26.6 |
5.1 |
CHIPPER (MRF 211) |
26.6 |
5.4 |
MATADOR GT (PST-5TUO) |
26.6 |
5.2 |
JT-6 |
26.9 |
5.9 |
RENDITION |
26.9 |
5.6 |
VIRTUOSO (CIS-TF-77) |
27.0 |
5.2 |
FORTE (BE-2) |
27.5 |
5.7 |
BLACKWATCH (PICK-OD3-01) |
27.6 |
5.8 |
K01-E09 |
27.6 |
5.1 |
HUNTER (CIS-TF-60) |
27.7 |
5.9 |
BAR FA 1CR7 |
27.9 |
5.6 |
GO-RD4 |
28.2 |
4.7 |
SHERIDAN (NA-TDD) |
28.2 |
5.7 |
PENN1901 (PLANTATION) |
28.6 |
5.8 |
SOUTHERN CHOICE II |
28.6 |
5.2 |
STONEWALL (JT-18) |
28.7 |
5.0 |
BARRERA |
28.9 |
5.4 |
TOMAHAWK GT |
28.9 |
5.3 |
TUXEDO (ATF 702) |
28.9 |
5.1 |
PST-DDL |
29.0 |
5.6 |
TEMPEST |
29.4 |
5.3 |
TRACER |
29.8 |
5.4 |
2ND MILLENNIUM |
29.9 |
6.3 |
PST-5JM |
29.9 |
5.8 |
MRF 29 |
30.0 |
5.5 |
PICK-00-AFA |
30.0 |
5.3 |
TROOPER (01-TFOR3) |
30.1 |
4.9 |
FIREBIRD (CIS-TF-65) |
30.4 |
5.9 |
INNOVATOR (PST-5KI) |
30.8 |
5.5 |
SR 8550 (SRX 8BE4) |
31.0 |
5.3 |
DLF-J210 |
31.1 |
5.2 |
GREMLIN (P-58) |
31.1 |
5.2 |
LARAMIE |
31.1 |
4.7 |
DESIRE (MRF 28) |
31.5 |
5.4 |
EVERGREEN 2 (EA 163) |
31.9 |
5.5 |
EXPEDETION (ATF-803) |
31.9 |
4.8 |
WATCHDOG |
32.4 |
5.0 |
FALCON II |
32.7 |
4.9 |
JT-15 |
32.8 |
5.1 |
LEGITIMATE |
32.8 |
4.8 |
SCORPION |
32.8 |
5.1 |
OL' GLORY (MA 127) |
32.9 |
5.6 |
TERRANOVA (T991) |
33.2 |
5.3 |
GRANDE II |
33.3 |
5.6 |
FINESSE II |
33.4 |
5.7 |
BARLEXAS |
33.8 |
4.7 |
BEACON (UT-155) |
33.9 |
4.7 |
DAVINCI (LTP-7801) |
33.9 |
5.6 |
JT-13 |
34.1 |
5.6 |
BARRINGTON |
34.2 |
4.9 |
BINGO |
34.2 |
5.4 |
PICK TF H-97 |
34.6 |
4.1 |
KITTY HAWK 2000 |
34.7 |
4.9 |
K01-8007 |
34.8 |
5.1 |
MA 138 |
34.8 |
5.1 |
VENANZIO (DP 50-9226) |
34.8 |
4.8 |
DAYTONA (MRF 23) |
35.1 |
5.1 |
K01-E03 |
35.2 |
5.1 |
FLORIDIAN (GO-FL3) |
35.4 |
3.9 |
ELISA |
35.6 |
4.1 |
DYNAMIC (PST-57E) |
35.8 |
5.7 |
STETSON |
35.9 |
4.4 |
ATF 586 |
36.9 |
4.9 |
MA 158 |
37.0 |
4.9 |
BARLEXAS II |
37.1 |
5.2 |
CORGI (CIS-TF-64) |
37.4 |
5.3 |
SOUTH PAW (MRF 24) |
37.6 |
4.6 |
COYOTE II (K01-8015) |
38.2 |
5.4 |
WYATT |
38.4 |
4.9 |
TF66 |
39.1 |
5.1 |
COVENANT (ATF 802) |
39.4 |
4.8 |
BONSAI |
39.7 |
4.0 |
DP 50-9082 |
41.4 |
4.3 |
LANCER |
43.2 |
4.5 |
ATF 806 |
43.8 |
4.4 |
MRF 25 |
44.2 |
4.9 |
MATADOR |
44.4 |
5.1 |
JTTFF-2000 |
44.6 |
4.2 |
BRAVO |
45.4 |
4.7 |
ATF 707 |
45.9 |
4.6 |
TULSA II (ATF 706) |
47.8 |
4.7 |
|
|
|
LSD VALUE |
11.4 |
1.0 |
C.V. (%) |
43.5 |
11.4 |
Data for additonal locations is available at ntep.org.
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