Disease Pressures

Heightened Disease Pressures - Don’t be caught out this Summer

With most homeowners having conducted their lawn renovations and enjoying the fruits of their labour it becomes easy to overlook the potential of turf grass disease becoming a problem and undoing all your hard work.

In recent weeks large parts of our vast country have experienced unseasonal weather events and conditions leading to disease pressure being at an all-time high.

How it can occur...

For turf grass disease to become an issue as it is now, we require three basic elements,

This becomes the variety of turf you currently have.
Environmental Conditions. Rain events combined with humidity.
Disease Pathogen

When these three elements catch up for a reunion on your lawn the damage that can occur is imminent.

By now most have applied their first form of protection for Summer in terms of Acelepryn to eliminate the risk of chewing pests and damage to their lawn throughout the growing season and now find themselves scratching their head as the lawn has become somewhat discoloured and patchy. With Acelepryn providing residual control for up to six months there is a high possibility there is disease issue.

Application of Fungicides

There are many fungicides available on the market these days and just like herbicides there isn’t a one shoe fits all in terms of control. When disease is present identification of the disease becomes paramount in determining the type of fungicide and application as turf grass diseases require different methods of treatment.

Application

Fungicides are best applied by a adequate spray device with control measures and PPE to be in place, it is also important to read the attached label as this will detail application rates and processes that need to be adhered to.

If you require assistance in Disease identification and or help with fungicide product selection, contact our Tech team at info@lawnpride.com.au

Prevention - better than cure

This is where good cultural practices become your first line of defence. Those that choose to follow a lawn maintenance program are on the front foot as a healthy lawn will help provide some resistance to disease.

Renovating procedures such as aeration and the removal of excess thatch also play an important role in mitigating risk, as seen in most cases a heavy thatch layer is one of the main contributors to disease outbreak.

Mowing regularly with sharp blades and ensuring you are irrigating properly are other ways to help keep disease at bay.

Be proactive

The easiest way to help prevent disease issues is by being proactive. Preventative applications of a broad-spectrum fungicide will help prevent the onset of most disease commonly seen in the home lawn.

Voltar GT 250SC is a broad-spectrum fungicide containing 250g/L of the active ingredient Iprodione. It is registered for the control of Brown Patch, Dollar Spot, Fusarium Patch, Spring Dead Spot, White Helminthosporium and Black Helminthosporium diseases in all recreational turf situations.

Commonly asked questions

I’m pretty sure I have a disease in my lawn, should I be worried?

When disease becomes present in your lawn it is always best to act swiftly, the reason being that if the environmental pressures remain that started the onset continue the disease will continue to spread this combined with the likelihood of foot traffic and mowing it won’t be long before you have spread the disease to other areas of your lawn.

Diseases can be left to their own devices if you wish although it does make recovery a lot more painful and longer.

Do I just spot spray where the disease is?

When applying a fungicide, you are best to treat the entire area of the lawn as this will reduce the risk of the disease spreading.

Am I to water a fungicide in or not?

This will be dependent on the correct identification of the disease and the application advice on the recommended fungicide for control as fungicides are able to be used as foliar treatments and or irrigated.

Wrap up

Maintain the best lawn in the street this summer by being aware of the weather conditions and keeping an eye out for any changes or irregularities in the appearance in your lawn.

The preventative measures you put in place will only be beneficial moving forward and keep you ahead of your neighbours.