Coming in Jan 2013: Dr. Jim Kerns!

Recently the department of plant pathology at NC State University graciously offered me the turfgrass pathology position.  Turfgrass Pathology has a long, storied history dating back to Dr. L.T. Lucas.  Many may know that I have a small part in the history of turfgrass pathology at NC State.  I had the great pleasure to have Dr. Lane Tredway as my major advisor during my PhD while I was at NC State.  There is no doubt that Lane built a Ferrari of a program and I am very much looking forward to driving this Ferrari.  Undoubtedly I will drive this program in a different direction, but I assure you I will do everything I can to provide value and service to the turfgrass industry of North Carolina.     

For the last 4.5 years I have built a program in turfgrass pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  While there my program focused on diseases of cool-season turfgrass and in particular, dollar spot and snow molds.  I built many great relationships in Wisconsin and I will miss working with the great industry there.  This is a huge change moving from Wisconsin back to North Carolina and I will likely require an education from you all on what is important to you.  I am very much looking forward to working with all of you and seeing what we can accomplish together.  My official start date will likely be in early Janaury 2013.  Prior to this, I am happy to discuss research ideas or areas of need and I have listed my current contact information below. 

Jim Kerns

(608) 516-8917

jkerns0@gmail.com

Treat for Large Patch Now!

With soil temperatures starting to approach 70°F across portions of NC, now is the time to start thinking about treating for large patch.

Average Daily Soil Temperatures as of 9/18/12 via NC State Climate Office

Large patch, which is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, is a common disease of centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, and bermudagrass grown for lawns, landscapes, golf turf, and athletic fields. Centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass are particularly susceptible to this disease.

Symptoms of large patch appear in roughly circular patches from 2 feet up to 10 feet or more in diameter. The affected turf will initially be orange, yellow, or reddish-brown in color but will then turn tan and collapse to the ground. The disease can spread rapidly to encompass large areas of turf, and distinct circular patches may not be obvious in these cases.

Fungicides are available for large patch control, but they must be applied preventatively for best results. The first application should be made in the late summer or early fall when average daily soil temperatures are 70°F or below.

One fungicide application will control minor cases of large patch, but two to three applications on a 4 to 6 week interval may be needed to control severe cases. Fungicides are not very effective once the symptoms of large patch appear. Curative applications will help to reduce further spread of the disease, but the affected turf will be very slow to recover.

Click here for more information about Large Patch, including images and specific control recommendations.

Treat for Spring Dead Spot Now!

So, your first question may be "Why on Earth are you telling me to apply fungicides for a spring disease in the fall and for something that will not show up for another 6-7 months?!"  The answer is simple.  The causal fungus, Ophiosphaerella spp., is active RIGHT NOW and you can bet it's infecting your bermuda and zoysia grass plants as I type this blog.  We know through years of research that fungicides are most effective when the soil temperatures are between  60 - 80°F in the fall of the year.

Average Daily Soil Temperatures on 9/15/12 via NC State Climate Office

As you can see by the map above, the time is right for preventative applications. However, choosing the right fungicide and applying at the right time will not result in acceptable levels of control if you do not apply them correctly.  Spring dead spot infects below ground plant parts.  With that being said, you must either water-in your fungicide applications IMMEDIATELY  with 1/4" of irrigation or apply with a carrier volume of 5 gal/water/1,000 sq. ft.  You need to be running your irrigation the moment the applicator is out of the way.  Do not wait until the following evening or night with your routine irrigation schedule or else you may be severely disappointed come next spring when these grasses green back up.

Just recently we have made some fantastic discoveries with fertilizers in regards to controlling this disease without having to use fungicides at all!  To learn more about this, please click here.

Also, if you haven't heard, Rubigan will be coming off the market in December of 2012.  Rubigan is one of the better fungicides available for spring dead spot control.  To learn more about this, click here.

To learn much more about spring dead spot, including control recommendations and images, please click here.