Fungicide and Product Trials

As a service to the turfgrass industry, the UMass Turf Pathology lab conducts field trials throughout New England to test the efficacy of fungicides and other turf products in controlling various summer and winter diseases.

For cost information contact jung@umass.edu

Anthracnose
Products will be tested for field efficacy on a Poa annua / Agrostis stolonifera putting green. The experimental plot will be located on a golf course practice green. Fungicide applications will begin late May on a preventative basis.

Brown Patch
Fungicides and other products are tested for their field efficacy on a colonial bentgrass fairway from June to August. Applications are made over a two month interval depending on disease pressure and company requests. Weekly ratings of % disease cover and phytotoxicity take place and photographs of each plot are taken at each rating.

Dollar Spot
We offer a wide variety of dollar spot product testing options and can accomodate most requests. We specialize in testing on sites with confirmed fungicide resistance. Applications are made depending on disease pressure and company requests. We conduct weekly ratings of infection centers, phytotoxicity, turf quality, and photograph each plot.

Pythium Blight
A test plot of Perennial Rye is planted mid-June and the trial will begin the first week in July to test field efficacy of a variety of fungicide treatments and other products for foliar Pythium blight control. Applications are made depending on disease pressure and company requests. Weekly ratings of % disease cover and phytotoxicity take place and photographs of each plot are taken at each rating.

Snow Mold
Field trials are conducted at four locations throughout New England to test field efficacy of various products used to control snow mold under differing levels of disease pressure and species causing disease. Control of Typhula blight (caused by Typhula ishikariensis and T. incarnata) and pink snow mold (caused by Microdochium nivale) is tested on golf course fairways and one putting green each year. Products are applied in mid November before snow fall and % disease rating of plots as well as measurements of phytotoxicity are made in Spring right after snow melt. Photos of each plot are taken and a book of research results is published in the spring.