8th TOPIC : GOLF

TURF DISEASES

PMG 614

GOLF COURSE
MAINTENANCE
Lecture Objectives

– To identify the types of pest & disease occur in a golf

course
– To identify the types of pathogen
– To determine the disease control applied in golf course
WHAT IS DISEASE

An abnormality in structure function

cause by long term association with an
infectious agent that injuries the plant
or reduces its economic
Golf turf are susceptible to
disease when stressed
DISEASE
IDENTIFICATION

– Symptoms – is the external reaction of the plant to the diseases cause different
symptoms. Common symptoms are leaf spots. If a spore lands on the foliage,
germinates and penetrates the leaf, a dead spot will appear where the fungus has
fed. This spots often have different shapes, sizes and colors. The overall appearance
of diseases grass is also important when identifying diseases. To untrained observer
all disease may look alike, golf course superintendent must carefully inspect diseased
areas, often getting down on their hands and knee to observe the grass closely. If
root diseases are suspected, plugs of soil must be removed and examined.
– Signs – is any observable part of the pathogen. Although pathogens are very small, it
is sometimes possible to see them without a microscope. The fungus causing
powdery mildew disease produces abundant white mycelium and spores visible to
the naked eye. A magnifying glass is very helpful when searching for signs. The
mycelium dries out very readily, so the best time to look for signs is early in the
morning, when the relative humidity is high and dew is still on the grass. Seeing the
fungus is often the most important step towards identifying a disease.
DISEASE
IDENTIFICATION

– Weather condition – every pathogen has a specific optimum

environmental conditions during which it is most active. Although the
majority of fungi need abundant moisture to grow, temperature
requirements often vary. Temperature and humidity requirements can
be used to predict disease occurrence. Weather stations instruments
are available that collect weather data to predict the potential
occurrence of disease.
– Host – determination of the grass species being attacked contributes
to successful disease diagnosis. St. Augustine decline commonly
attacks only one host. St Augustinegrass. Take all patch only occurs on
the bentgrasees. Unfortunately, some pathogens have a wide host
range disease such as brown patch is found on many grass species.
MAIN TYPES OF
PATHOGEN

1. Fungi
2. Bacteria
3. Viruses
4. Nematodes
MAIN TYPES OF PATHOGEN
FUNGI
– Most of local golf turf disease come from this pathogen.
– These organism do not have chlorophyll to develop and
produce their own food
– They get from either living plants or dead plant (also called
parasitic fungi)
– Saprophytic fungi helps in decomposition of dead matter in
the soil and turn into nutrient
FUNGI
– In the same saprophytic can turn into parasite and called as
facultative parasite in right environment
– The facultative parasites, sitting in the soil, feeding on
thatch quietly, then when the turf is weak or there is so
much humidity in the ground, it turns into a “bad guy” and
becomes a parasite.
– Parasitic fungi can be transported by air currents, splashing
or flowing water, insects, mites, other animals, mowers,
machineries, shoes, and grass parts.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF FUNGI
Ø Need water and high humidity to grow
Ø Grow and causes disease in narrow
temperature range
Ø Ubiquitous – have everywhere
Ø Primary role in nature is decomposition
Ø Some able to use a living plants as a food
source
DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGI
Disease Pathogen Symptoms / signs & Factor
Anthracnose Colletotrichum • Type of turf – Bermuda & Centepede
graminicola • Older leaves are attacked, die and turn tan.
Patches of dead turf inches to several meters
can be formed
• Factor - pressure/heat and less fertilization
Gray Leaf spot Pyricularia and • Type of turf – St Augustine
P.oryzae • Spot on leaf which appears 5 – 7 days after
infection
• Factor – to high N and bad drainage system
Dollar spot Sclerotinia • Type of turf - Bermuda
homoeacarpa • More or less round, straw-colored dead,
spots on green the size of 1 dollar
• Factor – weather pressure, less fertile soil and
thick thatch
DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGI
Disease Pathogen Symptoms / signs & Factor
Brown patch / Rhizoctania • Type of turf – St Augustine
Rhizoctonia blight solani • Irregular patches or rings. The margins of
which may purplish color. Cobwebs may be
seen in early morning.
• Thick thatch, higher N element, bad drainage
system
Karah Puccinia spp • Type of turf – Bermuda & Zoysia
• Spot on leaf with light yellow and orange
color.
• Factor – shading and less fertile soil
Pythium Blight Pythium spp • Type of turf - Bermuda
• Leaves will become reddish brown and straw
colored
• Factor – Higher N element, bad drainage
system and air movement
DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGI

Anthracnose Gray Leaf Spot Dollar Spot

Brown Patch Karah Pythium Blight

PREVENTION CONTROL

1. Ensure good management of cultural practice in order to

have fertile turf, healthy and disease resistance
2. Good fertilization with higher N element
3. Good composition of K element to sustain disease
resistance
4. Good water supply but do not over watering
5. Good irrigation and drainage system
6. Use sharpen bedknife and reel to avoid wound on leaves
that attract pathogen.
FUNGICIDE
APPLICATION

1. Chemical application should be apply in the early stage of

attack.
2. Types of Fungicide chemical:
a. Contact fungicide – it will effect to leaves and any chlorophyll
part of plant. Example of chemical Captan, Mancozeb, Maneb,
Thiram, Zineb
b. Systemic Fungicide – it will effect and absorb in the whole part
of plant from shoot until root system. Example of Chemical
Benomyl, Metalaxyl
c. Mixed Fungicide – Combination of above types. Example
chemical Thiophante + Thiram, Thiram + Cadmium
NEMATODES

– The most numerous multicellular animals on earth

– Microscopic, the largest being 3mm
– 3 million nematodes are estimated to live in an average
acre of soil (most of them in the top 6 inches)
– Nematodes seldom kills grass by themselves, but capable
affecting grass health by reducing roots systems.
– Feeds by penetrating the roots cell & eating the contents of
the cells.
 Nematode

1. Symptom
a. Stunted root system, wound and to many branches of root
b. The shoot colour become light green
c. Not tolerance with the environment
2. The existence of nematode can be seen:
a. Piece of sod, stolon and rhizome
b. Sand from top dressing work
c. Equipment, machine and human
d. Water from irrigation work.
NEMATODE CONTROL

1. Prevention
a. Ensure no pollution from equipment and plant – washing and
steaming
b. Soil sterilization
2. Turf usage
a. Use the turf that can resistance from nematode attack
3. Chemical application
a. Use nematicide
4. Cultural Practices
a. Weed control because it can be as nematode host
b. Burn the turf
BACTREIA
– Only have a few diseases are caused by bacteria.
– Are worse under such environmental stressess as low light
intensity, high humidity, free surface water and cooler
temperatures
– Like fungi, lack of chlorophyll & cannot make their own
food.
– Most of bacteria feed on dead organic matter.
– Bacteria enter through small opening veins, stomata or
wounds.
VIRUSES
– Very few golf turf are caused by viruses.
– Currently in Malaysia – doesn’t occur
– Are pathogens that can seen under microscopes
– Produce disease by upsetting the normal growth process of
plants, causing the cells produced abnormal & injuries
substances
PEST
Pest

– A golf turf pest is defined as any organism

that causes a decrease in golf turf quality.
– There are two types of pest:
a. Insect root pest
b. Insect leaves pest
 Insect Root Pest
Insect Symptom Control
Grubs / Beetles • Turf will wilt and die • Use chemical: Diazinon
• Easily uprooted • Watering the turf for root growth
Billbugs • Dust on turf surface • Larva – use Diazinon
(Sphenophorus spp) • Easily uprooted • Adult – Use Cypermethrin, Carbaryl
Mole Cricket • Easily uprooted • Use Diazinon, Cypermethrin,
(Gryllidae) Carbaryl

Wireworm • Easily uprooted • Use chemical: Diazinon

(Elateridae)
Scale Insect • Easily uprooted • Use Cypermethrin, Carbaryl
(Margorodes)
 Insect Leaves Pest
Insect Symptom Control
Sod webworms • Attack during dry • Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Carbaryl
(Acrolophus Spp) season
• Look like brown
patches
Army worm • Attack the turf during • Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Carbaryl
(Noctuidae) night
Cutworm • Active during night • Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Carbaryl
(Noctuidae) • Attack the stem
Chinchbugs (Blissus) • take the liquid from • Carbaryl, Diazinon
the shoot
• Yellow spot on the
leaf
PEST
PEST
THOUGHTS ON THE USE OF
PESTICIDES
¢ Chemicals are a helping hand; use as a last resort.
Don’t base entire program on them.
¢ Use with reservations; utilize IPM for diagnosis
and control.
¢ Look for cause of problem, not immediate cure.
Important to understand why you have the
problem. Chemicals don’t cure the cause.
¢ Manipulate cultural program to eliminate the
cause. (More or less fertilizer, reduce thatch, etc.)
WEED
WEED REDUCTION
AND CONTROL
Definition of Weed:
– Plant out of place
– Undesirable plant aggressively competing with
the more desirable ones
– What makes weeds inevitable:
§ Transfer from nearby unkempt yards
§ Long length of dormancy and viability
§ Diversity; can spread by seed or vegetative
 HERBICIDE CLASSIFICATION

1. Type of Kill
2. Time of Application
3. Selectivity
 A. TYPE OF KILL
CONTACT
ü Kills only those parts of the plant that the chemical is applied to.
ü Kill is usually very fast.
ü Limited to use on annual weeds; does not kill below ground
structures.
SYSTEMATIC
Ø Absorbed either by roots or above ground parts
Ø Trans located
Ø Kill may take 1 to 4 weeks
Ø Excess rates may make it a contact herbicide
 B. TIME OF APPLICATION
PRE-PLANT
– Usually a soil fumigant (chemical compound used in
herbicides); applied before planting
PRE-EMERGENT

– Applied before weed seed emerges

– prevent the germination of seeds
– Must be present in toxic concentrations at soil
surface during time seedlings are emerging
POST EMERGENT
– Applied after the emergence of weed
 C.SELECTIVITY
– ability to control specific weeds without killing
the desired golf turf
– Selective – majority of herbicides (e.g., benefin,
2,4-D, betasan, dacthal)
– Non-Selective – Toxic to all plants in the golf turf
community (e.g., glyphosate)
– Used for spot treatment, renovation, or prior to establishment.
CHEMICAL CONTROL

– There are five factors need to consider in chemical control:

a) Time of application – When should apply? Refer to cultural
practices. Current condition of turf. Identify the disease.
b) Effect of weather – current condition
c) Effect of fertilizer – types of fertilizer
d) Effect of mowing – frequency, sharpen of bedknife,
equipment
e) Effect of application rate – how much chemical will be
applied
 DISEASES
CONTROL

–Controlled by good cultural practices

–Maintenance proper pH leaves in the soils
–Chemical application such as pesticides
 ANY
QUESTION?
THANK YOU