How to identify and solve Spring dead spots in your lawn

Problem: Spring Dead Spots

Spring dead spot is a fungal disease that affects turfgrass species in Australia, particularly in cool season turfgrass regions.

What are susceptible Turfgrass Species to suffer from Spring dead spots?

It's commonly found impacting Green Couch and Hybrid Green Couch turfgrass surfaces around Australia.

Summary, Symptoms and Favourable Conditions:

The causal pathogen of Spring Dead Spot is Ophiosphaerella korrae (previously known as Leptosphaeria korrae).

How to identify it? Visual signs of Spring Dead Spot in the field are circular areas of dead or bleached grass, that are most visible when the couch resumes growing following dormancy. The damaged areas will often reappear in the same place over a number of years and will grow in size.

While the visual symptoms of Spring Dead Spot are clearly observed during the warmer months, the damage is done during the cooler months.

Spring Dead Spot is most active when soil temperatures are below 21°C. These temperatures coincide with the Autumn, when couch is entering dormancy and Spring, when couch is coming out of dormancy. This enables the disease to flourish while turf growth is slow, and the root system is vulnerable. Wet weather conditions and excessive levels of thatch are also favourable for the disease to develop.

It's time to implement your Spring Dead Spot fungicide program.

Let's talk about these great chemical control options for spring dead spot at your facility:

Regiment 550 EC

Active Constituent

550 g/L Propiconazole

Mode of Action Group

Group 3 Fungicide

Application Rate

2.8L / Ha

Pack Size

10L

Highly concentrated form of propiconazole with a low solvent loading

Dedicate

Active Constituent

200 g/L Tebuconazole + 100 g/L Trifloxystrobin

Mode of Action Group

Group 3 11 Fungicide

Application Rate

3.5L / Ha

Pack Size

2L

A contact and systemic fungicide to provide excellent protection over an extended period.

Posterity

Active Constituent

200 g/L Pydiflumetofen

Mode of Action Group

Group 7 Fungicide

Application Rate

0.5L-1L / Ha

Pack Size

500mL

A targeted SDHI fungicide that delivers excellent control of turfgrass diseases.

Impala

Active Constituent

194 g/L Triticonazole + 96 g/L Azoxystrobin

Mode of Action Group

Group 3 11 Fungicide

Application Rate

6L / Ha

Pack Size

1L, 5L

A Liquid SC fungicide formulation containing a new active for broad spectrum disease control.