Preventative Fairy Ring Applications

No this is not the time for preventative fairy ring applications. Rather I am writing this post to discuss a small trial we conducted this year. On a chipping green at University Ridge Golf Course (Thanks Aron!), we established a preventative fairy ring trial. Last year we observed a severe, uniform outbreak of fairy ring on this particular green. Aron and I were interested to see if the preventative applications Dr. Tredway and Dr. Settle have been advocating work in Wisconsin. We applied fungicides when soil temperatures reached 55 F and made a second application one month later. All treatments were watered in immediately following application with a 1/4 inch of water. The treatments included Triton Flo, Heritage, Disarm, Bayleton, Insignia, Tourney, Triton, Prostar, and a non-treated control.

The outbreak this year was not as uniform as in the previous year. One very large ring developed in one corner of the plot. Yet, the ring did not reach the non-treated control plots, darn! Nor did the ring reach the Triton Flo or Trinity plots. However, we did see some distinct differences in the plots where fairy ring did develop. One disclaimer, the large fairy ring only encompassed one side of rep 1 and 2. We observed a break in the green ring in the plots treated with Disarm, Prostar and Tourney. The ring was present in the Bayleton treated plot, but we did not observe a break in the ring. Although we observed different efficacy than Dr. Tredway and Dr. Settle, it is fairly obvious to us that preventative applications are very effective. Thank you Dr. Tredway, Dr. Settle, and Lee Miller! We do have pictures of the break in symptoms, but my computer did not want to cooperate with me tonight. I didn't follow my six P's :)

This was the first year we conducted a study like this and we are planning on repeating the study next year. We did observed visual differences, but I cannot discuss statistical differences since disease did not develop in the non-treated controls. Lee Miller and Dr. Settle have more data on preventative fairy ring control than I do, so I still think Bayleton is a good choice for preventative fairy ring control. Based on a recent presentation by Lee Miller, they found that Triton Flo and I believe Tourney worked well too.

Not much coming through the diagnostic lab last week or this week. I have seen a lot of rust in Kentucky bluegrass roughs, but other than that I think the weather has kept most diseases at bay. Now golf course superintendents are thinking about snow mold and I'm sure hunting seasons!

I am looking forward to teaching my first class at UW-Madison this semester. Its not much, just a special topics course on Turfgrass Pathology. It should be a lot of fun and the best part is the students get to do most of the talking!