Disease pressure

The recent beautiful golfing weather has created ideal conditions for turfgrass diseases.  The New Year's Eve forecast is 83 degrees and 90% humidity!  The foggy mornings and short days act as an incubator for diseases such as pythium and bipolaris leaf spot. 

 

 

Below is a photograph of the early stages of a bipolaris leaf spot outbreak on our putting green.  Practices such as reducing watering and treatment with fungicide will keep the disease from spreading during these conditions.

 

 

Below is a close up of the damage to leaf tissue caused by the leaf spot.  Typically the disease will first show up around the edges of the greens.