Dollar Spot in Four Bentgrass Cultivars as Affected by Acibenzolar-S-Methyl and Organic Fertilizers

Abstract

Golf course superintendents are interested in identifying ways to reduce fungicide inputs on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) putting greens. Our objectives were to evaluate the influence of the plant defense activator acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM, Actigard, Syngenta Corp., Basel, Switzerland) and organic fertilizers on dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) and brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) in four bentgrass cultivars. Crenshaw had over 10 times the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) value for dollar spot compared to the cultivar L-93 in 2000. Acibenzolar-S-methyl applied at 35 g a.i. per ha every 14 days between mid-May and mid-September for two consecutive growing seasons reduced the number of S. homoeocarpa infection centers by 15% in Crenshaw, 24% in Penncross, and 29% in Providence, but had no effect on the number of infection centers in L-93. Only Sustane (Crenshaw in 2000) and Milorganite (Crenshaw and Providence in 2001) suppressed dollar spot compared to urea. The following fertilizers resulted in an increase in S. homoeocarpa infection centers: Nature Safe 8-1.3-4.2 in Crenshaw in both years, and in Providence in 2000; Nature Safe 10-0.9-6.6 in Crenshaw in both years; and Sustane with Iron in Crenshaw in 2001. All other organic fertilizer × cultivar combinations resulted in dollar spot levels equivalent to those observed in ureatreated turf. Brown patch levels were not affected by cultivar, ASM, or organic fertilizers. The defense activator ASM deserves further evaluation as a tool to reduce dollar spot-targeted fungicide inputs in creeping bentgrass. Accepted for publication 5 June 2003. Published 26 June 2003.