Fusarium Patch Disease

Scientific name: Microdochium nivale

Identification

An infected area of turf usually ranges from an orange-rusty brown to straw or dark brown colour, being of a circular appearance - typically about 5cm in diameter - with the perimeter of the circle a slightly darker brown colour from the rest of the infected circle. These small 'circles' can spread extremely rapidly to form much larger infected patches of turf.

Reports have also been made of bentgrass becoming etiolated some two to three weeks after the normal signs of a fusarium attack during the autumn/early winter period. The surviving bentgrasses, however, died out over the winter period.

The infected turf is damp and slimy when the fusarium is active and the fungal mycelium can also sometimes be seen on the surface of the grass.

Main grasses affected

Annual meadow grass: Poa annua is especially susceptible to this disease.

Browntop bent: Agrostis castellana 'Highland' more so than Agrostis capillaris cultivars.

Creeping bentgrass: Agrostis stolonifera

Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and Smooth stalked meadow grass (Poa pratensis) are only moderately susceptible to fusarium attack.

Conditions favourable to the disease

  • Humid weather - warm and cool
  • Shade;
  • Poor air circulation;
  • Forced autumnal growth from late, especially nitrogen, fertilisers;
  • Surface moisture and waterlogged conditions;
  • Neutral to alkaline soil conditions;
  • Increased fertiliser use;
  • Damaged grass tissue;
  • Applications of lime to turf;

Control measures

  • Remove dew early in the morning;
  • Keep the soil well aerated;
  • Reduce thatch layers - both depth and density of them;
  • Box off and remove clippings;
  • Avoid using nitrogen fertilisers after late summer;
  • Do not smother turf when applying top-dressing and make sure that it is worked into the sward;
  • Improve air circulation around the area: Consider thinning hedges, trees etc., removing overhanging branches;
  • Reduce Poa annua content of a sward
  • Use more resistant cultivars where available;
  • Provide a more acidic soil;
  • Use sulphate of iron on a regular basis to promote surface acidity;
  • Ensure mowers have sharp cutting blades and are correctly set;
  • Mow regularly, not infrequently which can stress the grass - especially if 'shaved';
  • Mow at optimum heights of cut - too short and the grass will be stressed;
  • Reduce fertiliser inputs for shaded parts of football pitches;
  • Improve the drainage system.

Notes

During any one year it has been suggested that some 95% of UK greenkeepers experience an attack of fusarium and that over 80% of all fungicide applications on UK turf are for the control of fusarium patch disease.

Reports in 1994 showed occasional attacks of fusarium to have been recorded on some 60% of professional football pitches and some 20% of local authority football pitches.

Of the incidences of fusarium on the professional football pitches, about one-half were in the autumn whilst one-third were in the summer.

For football pitches a 50:50 mixture of perennial ryegrass : smooth stalked meadow grass can provide an improved chance of reducing the extent of any fusarium attack. This is in contrast to a sward containing a higher proportion of either one or the other species.

References

Baldwin, N.A., 'Turf disease notes', The Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute, 1987, 157;

Baldwin, N.A., 'Autumn Maintenance and Fusarium Patch Disease', Greenkeeping Management, August 1989, 39;

Baldwin, N.A., Turfgrass Pests and Diseases, Third Edition, STRI, 1990

Raikes, C., Lepp, N.W., Canaway, P.M., 'Major diseases, pests and weeds of winter sports turf. I. Results of a questionnaire survey of professional football clubs', The Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute, 1994, 55-82;

Raikes, C., Lepp, N.W., Canaway, P.M., 'Major diseases, pests and weeds of winter sports turf. II. Results of a questionnaire survey of local authorities', The Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute, 1994, 83-99;

York, K., 'Fusarium', Greenkeeper International, October 1994, 31;

Baker, S.W., 'The effects of shade and changes in microclimate on the quality of turf at professional football clubs. II. Pitch survey', The Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute, 1995, 75-83;

Raikes, C., Lepp, N.W., Canaway, P.M., 'The effect of dual species mixtures and monocultures on disease severity on winter sports turf', The Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute, 1996, 67-71;

Garthwaite, D., 'Greener than they think', Turf Management, March 1996, 18;

Anon, 'Fusarium control tactics', The Groundsman, December 2000, 16;