Fungicides for Dollar Spot Suppression on Creeping Bentgrass Greens

Creeping bentgrass (Agrosis stolonifera L.) is regarded to be the most widely used cool-season turfgrass species grown on golf greens and fairways in temperate climates of North America. Creeping bentgrass is highly susceptible to the fungal disease ‘dollar spot’ caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. Dollar spot is a foliar disease favored by conditions of high humidity, warm days, and cool nights. Studies using Aliette Signature (Fosetyl Aluminum formulated with a green pigment) mixed with another broad-spectrum fungicide do not always provide additional visual quality benefits compared to the fungicide alone. The exact mechanism for improved summer visual quality, when it occurs, is not known. Fertility management and environment likely contribute. The object of this study is to evaluate fungicide strategies for control of dollar spot and effect on visual quality during summer and on an L-93/G-2 creeping bentgrass green. Nine fungicide combinations were used for this study. Disease control and visual quality by fungicides was evaluated on an established G-2/L-93 creeping bentgrass green at 3-hole Sunshine Golf Course in Lemont, IL. All fungicide combination showd excellent dollar spot suppression except Fore throughout the study. Visual quality of greens by addition of Aliette Signature is enhanced when bentgrass growth is compromised and slow. Dollar spot levels in Fore plots increased to 30% on 14 August, and was no different than untreated plots. Unacceptable quality by Fore was due to lack of dollar spot control.