Management Tips

• Improve air circulation.
• Improve sub-surface  drainage.
• Use irrigation scheduling, to avoid prolonged wetting of turf.
• Maintain appropriate soil pH and nutritional levels.
• Increase mowing height.
• Increase sunlight penetration, to reducing shading of turf surfaces.

Control

At present there are no Syngenta products with label recommendation for control of algae in turf.

ALGAE

Causal Agent

Susceptible Turfgrass

Symptoms

• Scum mats occur on greens and low-cut turf areas
• These mats multiply rapidly forming multi-layered, filamentous mats, black in colour
• At the intermediate-stage outbreak, algal scum forms a mat which begins to expand, causing turf to thin
• A larger mat then forms, causing significant turf damage
• Left untreated, algal mats can grow to 30 cm in diameter

Conditions Favouring Disease 

• During prolonged periods of wet conditions or overcast skies, algal scum can develop in both sunlit & shaded areas.
• Turfgrasses cut to below 40 cm are particularly vulnerable to the development of algal scum.

General Comments

• Algae are plants, which photosynthesis to obtain nutrients, competing with turfgrasses for available nutrients.
• Algae do not attack turf plants, but they do attack the turf environment, occupying soil surfaces.
• Algae scum mats are capable of drying out then reviving after absorbing moisture.

Distribution