This is the time of year where disease can be troublesome to turfgrass here in Denver. It is not every year that we experience these issues, but when the humidity levels are higher for extended periods of time we can begin to see activity brewing.
This first disease is anthracnose. We have a strong fungicide program on greens as it attacks poa annua every year. This year we are seeing it develop on some fairways and tee boxes around the property. A fungicide application has been made to stop the progress of the disease. Mainly the leaf tissue has died off in these areas. The roots are healthy and new shoots are starting to develop. The turf should bounce back nicely. We will begin to interseed these areas and fertilize to welcome new plants that are not named poa.
Poa is susceptible to this disease because of it's high demand for nitrogen. Anthracnose sets in on plants that are weaker or low in nitrogen which promotes growth. Plants like bentgrass and ryegrass have deeper roots and are stronger plants that can tolerate more stress. They require less fertilizer and water which equates to better playing surfaces.
Over the past few seasons we have made significant strides in putting greens to reduce the amount of poa and increase bentgrass. We are seeing a 20-30% increase on the Maxwell Course and 50-60% increase on the Pfluger. Less traffic and management helps with that development on the 9 hole course.
The turf management team is putting together a plan to begin fighting poa on fairways and tees in the future. It continues to be a battle but one that golfers will continue to benefit from in the future.
Dollar spot is another common disease on golf courses that occurs under these conditions. Most golf courses are experiencing high dollar spot pressure this summer in Denver. Named after the size of a silver dollar. The mycellium is noticeable in the morning hours and occurs from low nitorgen and prolonged leaf wetness. Usually we get a little bit that develops each year but not enough to treat with a fungicide. It can be found in low lying areas that don't drain well. One cultural practice that you may see us do in the mornings is drag a chain to knock the dew off the plants. This helps the leaf blade dry quicker and reduce the development of the disease. Fortunately the same fungicide from anthracnose stops the development of dollar spot as well.
With the weather forecast we are looking at great grass growing weather and should recover fairly quickly from these diseases. These diseases can reduce the amount of poa on the course. It gives us the opportunity to introduce better grasses such as bentgrass on greens and ryegrass on fairways. Overall the golf course is still playing great and will continue to into the fall.
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