Integrated management of important turfgrass diseases and insect pests on European golf courses (IPM)

The main conclusions from the field studies both at Landvik and Bingley on alternative methods in preventing of MP on annual bluegrass predominated golf greens were that fungicides were the most effective method for control of microdochium patch disease and provided microdochium patch reduction of 66-85% vs. 43% and less by other methods. At Landvik, the most effective methods were 33%-reduced N rate alone or in combination with rolling, bi-weekly nutrition and use of slow-release organic fertilizer Suståne 5-2-4+Fe. At Bingley, at low disease pressure (less than 13%) iron sulphate at a rate of 4 and 8 kg/ha was effective at reducing MP incidence when used preventatively and during early disease pressure. Additional N application in late autumn increased MP in the spring at Landvik but not at Bingley.

Another study at Landvik and Bingley on incorporation of a pigment (Ryder, Syngenta) and a biostimulant (Hicure, Syngenta) into an IPM programme showed that it allows to reduce number of fungicide applications against MP from three to two without loss of efficiency in treating MP.

The stydy on the Golf Course Osnabrück Bissendorf showed that UV-C dosages of 35-40 and 70-80 mJ/cm² successfully suppressed DS infestation at low disease pressure (less than 5%).

Microdochium ELISA was a simple and practical method for early detection of latent Microdochium infection in turfgrass, which may be integrated into the overall strategy of plant disease control. Clarireedia affinity polyclonal antibodies do not form sandwich immunoassay, and this species requires continued efforts for obtaining of mouse monoclonal antibodies.

In the study on causal species for DS in Europe, we found that Clarireedia jacksonii and C. homoeocarpa were at least the main species which cause DS. Moreover, dollar spot symptoms can be exchanged with the symptoms of other turfgrass diseases like yellow patch caused by Ceratobasidium cereale, with fusarium patch caused by Fusarium culmorum or F. oxysporum, with pink patch caused by Limonomyces roseipellis, Microdochium bolleyi basal rot, brown ring patch caused by Waitea circinata.

The main conclusion from literature review and studies on insect pests was that control of the leatherjackets, chafer grubs, and other pest insects in turf needs more research on improving the efficacy and reliability of entomopathogenic nematodes. Golf course managers and greenkeepers must also improve their skills to become experts in using alternative and biological methods.