Spring dead spot is a common fungal disease that damages over 20 different kinds of plants. It is caused by the fungus Cladosporium sphaerospermum and other close relatives.These fungi cause foliar lesions to appear on leaves when they are wet, including the expanding leaf tips and leaf veins. Spring dead spot can be found on stems, petioles, branches, inflorescences and flowers as well. Spring dead spot is a lethal disease in lawns. It can cause extensive damage to the growth of your grasses if not treated with leading fungicides. It has been wrecking havoc this season, and I hope you can save your lawn next season after reading my Top 5 Fungicide Reviews. One of the most common grass diseases is turfgrass spring dead spot caused by Plasmodiophora. It thrives in cool, moist environments and makes the blade of your lawn extremely yellow to brown with spots of dead grass. If you have this type of infection on your lawn, you may want to use the best fungicide for spring dead spot. We’re discussing spring dead spot on azaleas and what is the best fungicide for spring dead spot. The easiest way to know if you have a problem with this disease is to look at your plants leafs. If they are yellow, brown or the leaves are falling off without being touched then you have a problem. If so, ask us what is the best fungicide for spring dead spot.

Best Fungicide For Spring Dead Spot

Introduction

Spring Dead Spot is one of the most common turfgrass diseases that affect golf courses, home lawns and professionally managed sports fields. This disease can be found in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass turfs. The disease causes circular patches or spots to form on the turf. The affected area is straw colored. Spring dead spot affected areas are dormant throughout spring and summer but become active by fall. During autumn, these areas start to recover with moderate levels of care, including fungicide applications. These areas become fully recovered by winter, but new lesions appear during spring if conditions remain favorable for this disease to develop again.

Spring Dead Spot

Spring dead spot is a fungal disease that can occur in spring, summer and fall. It’s more common in the southern U.S., where the fungus has been found in Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Virginia. The disease is caused by a fungus called Microdochium patch and affects soybeans, peanuts and other legumes such as sweet potatoes and clover.

Symptoms of Spring Dead Spot on Soybean Leaves

Symptoms of Spring Dead Spot on Peanut Leaves

Paspalum

Paspalum is a warm season grass that thrives in areas with high traffic and poor soil drainage. It prefers a high pH level and thrives under stress, making it the perfect choice for areas where your lawn will be subject to harsh conditions.

Even though Paspalum does not have any resistance to disease or pests, it is still considered one of the best varieties for spring dead spot because of its fast growth rate and ability to thrive in extreme conditions.

Microdochium Patch

The disease, Microdochium patch, is caused by the fungus Microdochium majus. This fungus attacks Kentucky bluegrass and annual ryegrass. The symptoms of the disease include yellowing of the leaves that starts in a circular pattern on each leaf, where it then spreads outwards from the center until all or most of the leaf turns yellow (see Fig 1). There are also lesions at the base of each leaf which have a distinct yellow border with brown centers (see Fig 2).

The best way to control this disease is to use fungicides such as mefenoxam/metalaxyl or propiconazole/propiconazole + metalaxyl + difenconazole (Profilta®) applied every 7-10 days until mid-July when temperatures are above 80°F (26°C). You should also try to avoid overhead watering during periods when temperatures exceed 85°F (29°C). If you do get an infection, you can apply fungicides on your turf after cutting if necessary. When using fungicides remember not to overapply them because this could hurt your turfgrass instead of helping it!

What Causes Spring Dead Spot?

Spring dead spot is caused when fungus Microdochium patch infects turfgrass, causing small patches of browning and leaf death in warm-season turf. Spring dead spot is also known as southern blight. It’s a perennial problem for turfgrass managers because the fungus can survive year after year in the soil on infected rhizomes of ornamental grasses, where it will continue to spread during periods of warm weather.

Soil pH levels

Soil pH is important for healthy turfgrass. The ideal range is between 6.5 and 7.5, but it can be slightly higher or lower without causing any problems. If the pH is too high (above 8), your grass will have a hard time absorbing iron, which means it might turn yellow and die if you don’t take steps to correct it. If the soil’s pH is too low (below 5), then your lawn will have trouble absorbing nitrogen fertilizer and could show signs of stress such as thinning stands or poor coloration.

Poor Drainage

Poor drainage of your lawn is a common cause for spring dead spot. When soil becomes saturated, it prevents air circulation and can also promote the growth of fungal diseases like spring dead spot.

Poor drainage also leads to an increased risk of other fungal diseases (such as dollar spot, brown patch, and pythium blight) and weeds that thrive in wet conditions. A poorly drained lawn will have decreased turfgrass quality due to its inability to retain moisture or nutrients during dry periods.

Poor Cultural Practices

Poor cultural practices such as over-fertilizing, over-watering and over-irrigating can also contribute to this disorder. The best way to avoid this problem is to maintain healthy plant growth through proper watering, fertilizing and mowing techniques. If you are unsure of how much water your lawn needs or when to fertilize your grass, contact a professional pest control service for assistance with these activities.

Traffic on the lawn can also cause spring dead spot in St Augustinegrass due to its heavy foot traffic during the spring months when golfers begin hitting balls off tees for practice.

Fungicide Resistance

Fungicide resistance is a serious problem in the turfgrass industry. The most common examples of fungicide resistance are:

• Bipolaris blight and Dollar Spot (Rhizoctonia solani)
• Anthracnose (Gaeumanomyces graminis var. tritici)
• Pink Snow Mold (Microdochium nivale)

Resistance can be avoided by rotating the use of different fungicides. The best way to manage resistant strains is through proper management practices, including rotation and tank-mixes.

Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass cultivars that have some level of resistance to spring dead spot include Midiron, Celebration and Jackpot.

While there is no cure for spring dead spot and many turf managers are resigned to the fact that it will occur every spring, some Bermudagrass cultivars have shown resistance against the disease. These include Midiron, Celebration and Jackpot. While these cultivars offer some level of resistance, they still exhibit symptoms of the disease during periods of heavy rainfall or extended periods with high humidity.

Other cultivars such as Centennial and L-31 also have demonstrated partial resistance against spring dead spot but can also show signs of infection during periods of excessive rainfall or high humidity.

How to Manage Spring Dead Spot?

• Soil fertility management:

Spring Dead Spot can be managed by controlling the fertility of your soil. A healthy and fertile soil is resistant to diseases, pests and weeds. The plants will be able to sustain themselves in their own defence mechanism when there is a sufficient amount of vital nutrients available for them in the soil. It is important to maintain proper pH levels because this will help to balance potassium and nitrogen levels as well as prevent disease attacks from happening. The best way to do this is through testing your soil every 1-2 years and taking the necessary measures such as adding organic matter or lime when needed so that you have an ideal ratio of nutrients available each growing season.

Soil Fertility Management

Soil fertility management is not recommended for spring dead spot management because fertilizer can increase spring dead spot severity, especially when applied in the fall. Fertilizers that contain nitrogen and phosphorus are particularly problematic as they stimulate vegetative growth, which increases the potential for infection.

Water Management (Irrigation)

Water Management (Irrigation)

Water is essential for keeping a healthy lawn. Irrigation should be done in the morning, rather than in the evening or at night. This will allow water to soak into the soil rather than evaporate into the air. If you irrigate too much, it can cause root rot and other issues with your lawn’s health. In general, irrigation should only be done during spring and fall months because these are times when grass needs less moisture from rainfall or ground water sources such as streams and lakes.

Maintain proper soil pH levels and balance potassium and nitrogen levels. Test the soil every 1-2 years and take the necessary measures to maintain proper pH levels. While spring dead spot can show up in alkaline or neutral soils, it is more prevalent in acidic soils.

Maintain proper soil pH levels and balance potassium and nitrogen levels. Test the soil every 1-2 years and take the necessary measures to maintain proper pH levels. While spring dead spot can show up in alkaline or neutral soils, it is more prevalent in acidic soils.

Test for phosphorus and potassium in your soil regularly with a high-quality test kit from your local hardware store or garden center. A balanced level of phosphorus should be between .4 – .8 lbs per 1,000 square feet (lbs/1k sq ft), while a balanced intake of potassium should be between 2 – 4 lbs per 1,000 square feet (lbs/1k sq ft). If you find that you have too much phosphorus or not enough potassium in your soil, apply an appropriate fertilizer mix to help restore balance throughout the year.

Proper drainage is essential for improving water movement in the soil profile. Waterlogged turfgrass has poor quality because of poor oxygen availability as well as increased chances of diseases and weeds. If you are using a drain, make sure it’s working properly. Otherwise, you can aerify your lawn to improve drainage by making sure the top 12 inches of your lawn soil has air pockets. Make sure that this aeration is done between April 15th and September 15th when there are lower chances of spring dead spot growth. To improve drainage even further, use gypsum which raises calcium levels in the soil while lowering sodium, magnesium and sulfur levels.

• Improving soil drainage: Proper drainage is essential for improving water movement in the soil profile. Waterlogged turfgrass has poor quality because of poor oxygen availability as well as increased chances of diseases and weeds. If you are using a drain, make sure it’s working properly. Otherwise, you can aerify your lawn to improve drainage by making sure the top 12 inches of your lawn soil has air pockets. Make sure that this aeration is done between April 15th and September 15th when there are lower chances of spring dead spot growth. To improve drainage even further, use gypsum which raises calcium levels in the soil while lowering sodium, magnesium and sulfur levels.*

Conclusion

Spring dead spot is a fungal disease that affects bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and paspalum. It thrives in warm and humid weathers, especially during the spring season. Spring dead spot has a definitive circular or ring-shaped pattern; it begins with light brown patches which then turn into tan-colored spots of roughly 3-24 inches in diameter.

You can use fungicides such as Endorse (Mefenoxam), Disarm Neo (Metconazole) or Headway G (Triadimenol + Triadimefon) to manage spring dead spot by applying them in March, April and September every year.