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Disease Update

I was made aware of Doug Soldat's annual tweet showing the difference of disease on bentgrass with and without potassium fertilizer on one of Micah Wood's latest blog posts. The difference is drastic and the picture still impresses years later.

Micah and Doug also just did an hour long video on the subject.

For that past few years I have struggled controlling the disease at my new course. Nothing we did would control the fusarium. I sent off samples to labs and tried every chemical control available. Nothing worked as good as I remembered it working at Pender.

This year (knock on wood. I'm not superstitious just a little stitious) the disease has been virtually non-existent despite the various disease models being maxed out for m.nivale. Needless to say it has been very Fusariummy this winter ( you're supposed to drink every time I type it) but we have been able to manage the disease to very manageable levels. Levels that are less than ball marks and insect damage combined. It's very minimal.

The greens are very happy

In a recent post I also shared my soil nutrient levels and how we had seen a drop in K levels in our soils as I only applied K at a ratio of 0.16 to Nitrogen this year. At Pender I had similar K levels and similar success in managing winter disease.


I tapered off the applications as we always do but also applied the lowest annual amount in the history of the golf club. This year the applications were the most consistent they have been in years and this is likely due to my ABSOLUTE CONTROL of the turf growth rates. Just kidding, at best I have absolute suggestion of growth rates.


I wonder if it is not just the amount and timing of K that is applied but also how much is contained in your soils. I think I understand it that if there is extra K, the plant will use slightly more as luxury consumption. As a turf manager I wonder if we get our soil levels low but also reduce applications in the fall as Doug suggests that we will find success. This year is the first time I have done both of these things and it is the first year that I have been able to successfully manage the disease on our greens.

Maybe this is why we have so little disease this winter...or maybe it's something else?


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