Disease Alert for Long Weekend Sydney and Surrounds- Sept 2011

I seem to be writing this alert every Labor Day holiday (NSW) which conincides with the (Warriors V Manly) Grand Final this Sunday (who are you going for? I’m with the Warriors because I would like to see them win it for the first time). Also doggies are good for the lower grades.

 

For the 3rd year in a row we are having a wet lead up to the weekend (raining as I write) and also some rain during it. Forecasts are showing anywhere from 20mm-40mm. Last year we had about 20mm around that time and temperatures were about the same leading into the week. Hence there is a good chance of some brown patch popping up.

 

 

Mainly it has been  solani or cerealis (yellow patch) strains of brown patch. Even on couch surfaces (tees and sportsfields) you will see some brown patch (solani strain though) as turf starts to come out of dormancy.

Yellow Patch has been a bit difficult to control once it is there. It tends to disappear with 28+ temps but it is too early to get this consitenly So keep an eye out. If you have the disease there you may need to do 2 sprays 7-14 days apart depending on the conditions and products you use. For example Ippon (or 250GT) then follow up with Dacogreen at full rate as for both products.. See pictures attached of the brown patch I was talking about (yellow patch). If you can do a preventative do it.

 

Rhizoctonia spp on bent grass

 

Also with this rain good to put something out anyway for the usual diseases of dollar spot and pythium. If you had put on some Dacogreen Weathershield before this weather it would be doing the job. But backup this in 7-14 days to be on the safe side because it is only a contact and we have been getting quite a bit of pressure out there.

Lastly there was quite a bit of disease throughout the summer and leading into winter. With this weather look to start your sprays a bit ealrier than usual and don’t hesitate to shorten spray intervals especially for dollar spot and pythium. Prevention is always better than cure and remember to mix your resistance groups around not just the actives.

Any questions feel free to give me a call or email me back or leave a comment..

I will be posting on a new product as well for Fairy Ring shortly which will be available mid November (you may have seen the ad in the NSWGCSA newsletter).

Until next time

Nadeem Zreikat