Anthracnose

Winter Grass, Bent Grass, Kentucky Blue Grass, Fescue & Couch

• Leaves of infected plants turn yellow to a light tan to brown before dying.
• Younger leaves often turn red.
• Basel stem and leaf sheath's rot, affected plants are easy to pull out.
• Infected areas are seen as irregular shaped patches.
• Affected patches are a reddish brown colour turning yellow then tan to brown.
• A black stain may occur at the base of infected plants.
• Fruiting bodies have pink spore masses and spiny setae.

• Warm, humid conditions favour disease development.
• Anthracnose favours temperatures over 25°C.
• It is necessary for a film of moisture to be present on either the roots or foliage for infection to occur.
• More than 10 hours a day of leaf wetness for consecutive days.
• Hot summers in cool temperature areas are when the disease is most noticeable.
• Soil compaction and low amounts of nitrogen also contribute to disease occurrence

• Decrease the foot traffic.
• Maintain adequate nitrogen and balanced fertility.
• Irrigate the turf grass just enough to prevent wilting.
• Do not core aerate while disease symptoms are present.
• Core aerate and overseed in autumn.
• Convert to less susceptible varieties on fairways.
• Avoid management practices which encourage humidity and extended leaf wetness.
• Make preventative fungicide applications where the disease is a chronic problem.

Anthracnose typically infects turf grass, particularly Winter Grass during warm weather when the turf grass canopy is wet and or humid.