Anthracnose

[Mike_Cirba]

I've had a few "off-line" discussions with some GCA'ers who have courses suffering from anthracnose.  Here in the Delaware Valley, a lot of clubs have had significant, serious experience with the disease that affects poa annua and leads to blotchy, patchy greens with dead patches.

I'm not a superintendent, nor do I play one on television.  However, I am also aware that there are various approaches being undertaken at clubs I've visited recently, speaking with Superintendents like Scott Anderson at Huntingdon Valley, learning about Mike McNulty's methods at Philadelphia Country Club from Greg Nolan, and now today...my copy of Golfweek's SuperintendentNews arrives with my friend Jim Loke of Bent Creek on the cover discussing his methodology for "declaring war" on poa.

Since there is a variety of different thinking on the subject, I was hoping that perhaps this thread could be helpful to many people if Superintendent's were willing to weigh in with their experience and methods.  

If GCA is here to help us all to learn, then I can think of no more pressing topic from a maintenance standpoint, particularly with many courses already stressed from drought conditions, hot summer sun, and tighter economic conditions.

So, I'd like to ask various Superintedents to educate us and each other here on what they find effective in combating the problem.  Thanks in advance for your shared thoughts.  

[TEPaul]

Probably the best way to combat anthranose is to get ahead of it by getting rid of your poa greens! Trite to say probably because basically poa will come back eventually but the idea so far is to regrass and buy yourself time.

In our restoration plan we didn't plan on regrassing because we had some great old multi strain greens but they sure had plenty of poa too and last year we got clobbered by anthranose but our super fought it off with every means at his disposal.

But do we (and he) want to get into that every year? No way--so we're about to regrass to A4.

The message from our regional USGA agonomist StanZ, and on Monday from Jim Snow, the USGA's national agronomy director, is that anthracnose primarily attacks poa but it primarily attacks poa on greens that are stressed! Why are greens stressed? Because so many clubs are on a stimpmeter speed race!

[mike_malone]

 Now we have a new critter to worry about----HYPERODE WEEVIL!!!!  (sp.)It loves poa annua and moved in from the north this summer.

[Johnny Browne]

Tom,
Interesting how things go around. At my home club in N Ireland (Belvoir Park, an original Harry colt design) we have excellent greens which are looked after by one of the best superintendants in Ireland - however they are mostly poa anno and do get attacked each year by fusarium and occasionally anthracnose - however early intervention prevents any  spread.  We have however re-done one green to USGA specifications and seeded with a variety of A4 (not sure which one) and it has just deteriorated rapidly due to an infestation apparently of nematode worm, which I think is another newish affliction fo rwhich there is no cure.  Sometimes I think in golf course maintenance you just can't win.
Johnny Browne

[mike_malone]

Dear Mr. Browne
   I apologize for the Anthracnose on your course.We brought it over to you on our golf shoes.In fact there were chemical pads that we had to walk on at the airport.Some said it was the hoof and mouth ,but i know they were trying to get that disease from our club.

[Peter Galea]

I've tried to post several times on this topic, but I get too technical, so I am restraining myself.
TEPaul, you're right. We keep the greens so far on the edge that even a weak disease like anthracnose can be devastating.
TEPaul, your'e wrong. Anthracnose is not a good reason (in m mind) to rebuild or regrass greens. We have chemical controls and by changing management strategies anthracnose can be held at bay.
Mike, anthracnose can be a good biological control of poa annua in bentgrass greens providing they are mostly bent.

[Dave_Miller]

Isn't Anthracnose a sign of other weaknesses in the grass and not just stress form cutting heights to record Rocket speeds on the Stimp.

I believe that when Antracnose appears and attacks the Poa it is the result of something else that allowed the disease in.

It could be a number of different items but I'm pretty sure when Anthracnose hits it is the sign of some other underlying weakness.

Cheers.

Dave

[Peter Galea]

You're right Dave,
Anthracnose is a weak pathogen usually associated with "HAS Decline" (Helmithosporium-leafspot/Anthracnose/Senescence) described by Dr. Joe Vargas. Conditions which favor the disease are compacted, poorly drained soils, low fertility and drought stress. Anthracnose will affect a weakened plant and finish it off.

[Dave_Miller]

Jim Reinerston, the superintendent at Charles River in Newton Centre, Ma. appears to have a very good handle on Anthracnose and the underlying causes and more importantly how to address these and fix the problem.

I'm sure Jim would be happy to discuss this with anyone and would be willing to lend some ideas on what the causes may be and how to address in a specific situation.

He can be contacted at jrhino@charlesrivercc.org

Anyone who thinks this could be helpful and does contact Jim just let him know I recommended you get in touch.

Fairways and Greens,

Dave

[TEPaul]

Pete:

I don't know that I'm wrong about the fact we're regrassing our greens to A4 bent to get ahead of poa annua, but you never know.

We're closing our course down to do a comprehensive restoration of our green spaces anyway and since the course is down it's more than the opportune time to regrass.

Last summer we had a major outbreak of anthracnose on our very old poa annua greens. We also have an excellent superintendent that's been with us for over 20 years and is well up there in PA superintendence and very respected in the business and he fought it off extremely well--it seems to me better than anyone else around here that had it to the extent we did. Some of the other courses around here had their greens wiped out and had to close for the rest of the year to regrass!

It was his advice to do this, not because he wanted new greens but neither he nor we wanted to go through another summer like 2001. Although he did a brilliant job of combating anthracnose we don't need to go through that again! The USGA has been very comprehensive with their advice on regrassing and supportive of it.

We just have to get the best advice we possibly can on this matter and heed it, in my opinion!

[Michael Stachowicz]

I am afraid converting to bent isn't the answer entirely.  Anthracnose has been found on bentgrass.  It is the management that is going to have to change.  Shade, compaction, fertility, water management, mowing, rolling, topdressing, everything we do to the grass has to be re-evaluated.  As superintendents we have   balance all these things so as not to get the disease.  Everything that can be done to make the grass healthy will have to be done regardless of its effect on trees, speed, or traffic control.  

I would be curious to see what percentage of courses with an anthracnose problem are consistently rolling at 10' or more daily.

[Michael Stachowicz]

I am afraid converting to bent isn't the answer entirely.  Anthracnose has been found on bentgrass.  It is the management that is going to have to change.  Shade, compaction, fertility, water management, mowing, rolling, topdressing, everything we do to the grass has to be re-evaluated.  As superintendents we have   balance all these things so as not to get the disease.  Everything that can be done to make the grass healthy will have to be done regardless of its effect on trees, speed, or traffic control.  

I would be curious to see what percentage of courses with an anthracnose problem are consistently rolling at 10' or more daily.

[Peter Galea]

TEPaul, you're right. Regrassing to convert from poa to bent is an excellent idea. In my area, anthracnose can be controlled chemically and through cultural practices. It would not be a major reason to go through the expense of regrassing greens. Nematodes-now that's a different story.
I do not face the same challenges as does your superintendent, so of course he is the most qualifed to make the decision to regrass.

[Jimbo]

"Conditions which favor the disease are compacted, poorly drained soils, low fertility and drought stress. Anthracnose will affect a weakened plant and finish it off."  

I couldn't agree more.

To achieve this:
Roll them, keep them lean, and hold the water back.

The current accepted remedy for anthracnose is the polar opposite:
FERTILIZE with ammonium sulfate, RAISE the mowing height, reduce TRAFFIC.

Speed kills.  That is the underlying weakness.

[Dr. Reynolds]

Anthracnose is indeed a secondary pathogen!

All of the above threads are correct in their own way.

Think about it, How much anthracnose do we annually see on fairways!  Green speed has gotten completely out of control in the states. (Did anyone even see the last few British opens?) The need for speed, weather, soil fertility, turf type and management all may very well be the primary function!

The most sensible thing to do is regrass.

This is true mainly because creeping bentgrasses are deep rooted and better adapted to handle many of the primary functions which may lead to decline do to a secondary pathogen!
The focus for the past 20 years has been to develop new bentgrasses that are extremely heat/drought tolerant and disease resistant as well as fine leafed and upright! Some of these grasses have an inherent ability to prevent poa invasion because of their density. I have seen 100% bentgrass greens that are ten years old!  Through the use of many herbicides and turf regulators you can prevent this poa invasion! Why not spend the money here as opposed to the chemicals needed to fight off anthracnose. You'd probably pay for the entire process in 3 years with the money you saved from your chemical budget!
What many people don't realize is that this pathogen is always present and just waiting for it's opportunity to present itself!

TEPAUL, the one point that must be made is that the Delaware Valley is in the heart of the transition zone.This is by far the hardest region to manage cool season turfgrass!  As a matter of fact warm season grasses as well!

Great decision to regrass!

p.s. when you regrass spend the extra money and fumigate atleast ten feet into the green surrounds and approaches!