Diseases of Turfgrasses

Richard W. Smiley, primary collator* (last update 7/18/05)

Abbreviations of names for turfgrass species are:

A = Agrostis canina L. (velvet bentgrass), A. stolonifera L. (creeping bentgrass), and A. capillaris L. (colonial bentgrass)
Ag = Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. (crested wheatgrass)
Ax = Axonopus fissifolius (Raddi) Kuhlm. (common carpetgrass)
B = Buchloë dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. (buffalograss)
C = Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. or Cynodon hybrids (bermudagrass)
C3 = cool-season turfgrass genera [A, Ag, F, L, P]
C4 = warm-season turfgrass genera [Ax, B, C, E, Pa, Pe, S, Z]
E = Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack. (centipedegrass)
F = Festuca arundinacea Schreb. (tall fescue), F. brevipila R. Tracey (hard fescue), F. ovina L. (sheep fescue), F. rubra L. subsp. fallax (Thuill.) Nyman (chewings fescue), and F. rubra L. subsp. rubra (strong creeping red fescue)
L = Lolium multiflorum Lam. (Italian ‘annual’ ryegrass) and L. perenne L. (perennial ryegrass)
P = Poa annua L. (annual bluegrass), P. pratensis L. (Kentucky bluegrass), and P. trivialis L. (rough bluegrass)
Pa = Paspalum notatum Fluegge (bahiagrass)
Ph = Phleum bertolonii DC. (turf timothy)
Pe = Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. ex Chiov. (kikuyugrass)
S = Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze (St. Augustinegrass)
Z = Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr. (Manilagrass), Z. japonica Steud. (Japanese lawngrass), and Z. tenuifolia Willd. ex Thiele (Mascarenegrass)

Common name : Suscepts : Pathogen or cause

BACTERIAL DISEASES

Bacterial wilt : A,C,P: Xanthomonas translucens Vauterin et al.
Black Layer :: See section on Miscellaneous Diseases and Disorders

FUNGAL DISEASES

Anthracnose : C3,C4: Colletotrichum graminicola (Ces.) G. W. Wils.; Glomerella graminicola Politis [teleomorph]; : Microdochium bolleyi (R. Sprague) De Hoog & Hermanides-Nijhof; = Gloeosporium bolleyi R. Sprague; : Volutella colletotrichoides J. E. Chilton
Ascochyta leaf blight : C3,C4: Ascochyta avenae (Petr.) R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson; L : A. desmazieresii Cavara; Ag, F : A. hordei K. Hara; P : A. hordeicola Punithalingam; A,F,L : A. leptospora (Trail) K. Hara; F,P : A. phleina R. Sprague; P : A. poagena Punithalingam; C : A. graminea (Sacc.) R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson; Pa : A. paspali (Syd.) Punithalingam
Bermudagrass decline :: See Root decline of warm-season grasses
Bipolaris and Exserohilum leaf spot and crown and root rot:
C3,C4: Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoemaker; Cochliobolus sativus (Ito & Kuribayashi) Drechs. ex Dastur [teleomorph]; C : B. cynodontis (Marignoni) Shoemaker; Cochliobolus cynodontis R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]; Pe : B. australiensis (M. B. Ellis) Tsuda & Ueyama; Cochliobolus australiensis (Tsuda & Ueyama) Alcorn [teleomorph]; B : B. buchloës (Lefebvre & A. G. Johnson) Shoemaker; C : B. hawaiiensis (M. B. Ellis) Uchida & Aragaki; Pa : B. micropus (Drechs.) Shoemaker; C,Z : B. spicifera (Bainier) Subramanian; Cochliobolus spicifer R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]; C : B. stenospila (Drechs.) Shoemaker; Cochliobolus stenospilus Matsumoto & W. Yamamoto [teleomorph]; Ag,C,S : Exserohilum rostratum (Drechs.) K. J. Leonard & E. G. Suggs; Setosphaeria rostrata K. J. Leonard [teleomorph]
Blister smut : C3: Entyloma dactylidis (Pass.) Cif.
Brown patch and large patch : C3,C4: Rhizoctonia solani Kühn AG 1; Thanatephorus cucumeris (A. B. Frank) Donk [teleomorph]; : R. solani Kühn AG 2,2
Brown stripe : C3,C4: Cercosporidium graminis (Fuckel) Deighton
Cephalosporium stripe : L,P: Cephalosporium gramineum Nisikada & Ikata in Nisikado et al.; = Hymenula cerealis Ellis & Everh.
Cercospora leaf spot : A,B,C,F,S: Cercospora agrostidis Atk.; : C. festucae Hardison; : C. seminalis Ellis & Everh.; : Phaeoramularia fusimaculans (Atk.) X. Liu & Guo; = C. fusimaculans Atk.
Cladosporium eyespot : Ph: Cladosporium phlei (C. T. Gregory) G. A. De Vries
Copper spot : A,C: Gloeocercospora sorghi Bain & Edgerton ex Deighton
Coprinus snow mold : C3: Coprinus psychromorbidus Redhead & J. A. Traquair
Crown rust : C3: Puccinia coronata Corda
Curvularia blight : C3,C4: Curvularia eragrostidis (Henn.) J. A. Meyer; Pseudocochliobolus eragrostidis (Tsuda & Ueyama) Sivanesan [teleomorph]; : C. geniculata (Tracy & Earle) Boedijn; Cochliobolus geniculatus R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]; : C. intermedia Boedijn; Cochliobolus intermedius R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]; : C. lunata (Wakk.) Boedijn; Cochliobolus lunatus (R. R. Nelson & Haasis) Tsuda, Ueyama, & Nishih. [teleomorph]; : C. penniseti (M. Mitra) Boedijn; : C. protuberata R. R. Nelson & C. S. Hodges; : C. senegalensis (Speg.) Subramanian; : C. trifolii (Kauffm.) Boedijn
Dead spot : A,C: Ophiosphaerella agrostis Dernoeden et al.
Dollar spot : C3,C4: Undetermined members of the family Rutstroemiaceae, such as; a Poculum or Rutstroemia spp.; = Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F. T. Bennett
Downy mildew :: See yellow tuft
Drechslera and Marielliottia leaf spots and melting-out : C3: A : Drechslera erythrospila (Drechs.) Shoemaker; L : D. catenaria (Drechs.) Ito; D. nobleae D. Matthews & E. McKenzie; P : D. poae (Baudys) Shoemaker; F,L : D. dictyoides (Drechs.) Shoemaker; Pyrenophora dictyoides Paul and Parberry [teleomorph]; D. siccans (Drechs.) Shoemaker; Pyrenophora lolii Dovaston [teleomorph]; Ph : D. phlei (J. H. Graham) Shoemaker; P : D. gigantea (Heald & F. A. Wolf) Ito; Marielliottia triseptata (Drechs.) Shoemaker
Endophytic fungi : C3 :: Neotyphodium coenophialum Morgan-Jones & W. Gams) Glenn, Bacon, & Hanlin; : N. lolii (Latch, Christensen, & Samuels) Glenn, Bacon, & Hanlin; : N. typhinum (Morgan-Jones & W. Gams) Glenn, Bacon, & Hanlin; Epichloe typhina (Pers.:Fr.) Tul. & C. Tul. [teleomorph]
Fairy ring: C3,C4 : Species of Agraricales and Gastromycetales, mostly in the genera Agaricus, Calvatia, Chlorophyllum, Clitocybe, Lepiota, Lycoperdon, Marasmius, Scleroderma, and Tricholoma.
Flag smut : C3: Urocystis agropyri (G. Preuss) J. Schröt.
Frost scorch : A,F,P: Sclerotium rhizodes Auersw.
Fusarium leaf spot, crown and root rot : P: Fusarium acuminatum Ellis & Everh.; Gibberella acuminata Wollenweb. [teleomorph]; : F. avenaceum (Fr.:Fr.) Sacc.; G. avenacea R. J. Cook [teleomorph]; : F. crookwellense L. W. Burgess, P. E. Nelson & T. A. Toussoun; : F. culmorum (Wm. G. Sm.) Sacc.; : F. equiseti (Corda) Sacc.; G. intricans Wollenweb. [teleomorph]; : F. graminearum Schwabe; G. zeae (Schwein.) Petch [teleomorph]; : F. heterosporum Nees:Fr.; G. gordonia C. Booth [teleomorph]; : F. poae (Peck) Wollenweb.; : F. pseudograminearum O’Donnell & T. Aoki; G. coronicola T. Aoki & O’Donnell [teleomorph]; : F. semitectum Berk. & Ravenel
Fusarium patch :: See Microdochium patch
Gray leaf spot : C3,C4: Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) Sacc.; = P. oryzae Cavara; Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr [teleomorph]
Large patch :: See brown patch and large patch
Leaf blotch : C3: Rhynchosporium orthosporum R. M. Caldwell; : R. secalis (Oudem.) J. J. Davis
Leaf rust : C3: Puccinia brachypodii G. Otth var. poae-nemoralis (G. Otth) Cummins & H. C. Greene; C : P. cynodontis Lacr. ex Desmaz.; C3 : P. recondita Roberge ex Desmaz.; S : P. stenotaphricola J. Walker; Z : P. zoysiae Dietel; F,P : Uromyces dactylidis G. Otth
Leptosphaerulina leaf blight : C3: Leptosphaerulina trifolii (Rostr.) Petr.; = L. australis McAlpine
Mastigosporium leaf spot (leaf fleck) : A, Ph: Mastigosporium rubricosum (Dearn. & Barth.) Nannf.; M. kitzebergense Schlosser
Microdochium patch : C3: Microdochium nivale (Fr.) Samuels and I. C. Hallett; = Fusarium nivale Ces. ex Berl. & Voglino; = Gerlachia nivalis (Ces. ex Berl. & Voglino) W. Gams & E. Müller; Monographella nivalis (Schaffnit) E. Müller [teleomorph]; = Calonectria nivalis Schaffnit; = Micronectriella nivalis (Schaffnit) C. Booth)
Necrotic ring spot : C3: Ophiosphaerella korrae (J. Walker & A. M. Sm.) Shoemaker & Babcock; = Leptosphaeria korrae J. Walker & A. M. Smith
Net blotch :: See Drechslera and Marielliottia diseases
Nigrospora blight : F,L,P,S: Nigrospora sphaerica (Sacc.) E. Mason
Phyllosticta leaf blight : C3,C4: Species of Phyllosticta Pers.; Guignardia Viala & Ravaz [teleomorph]
Physoderma leaf spot and leaf streak : C3,C4: Physoderma graminis (Busgen) De Wild; P. paspali Stevenson
Pink patch and cream leaf blight : C,C3: Limonomyces roseipellis Stalpers & Loerakker
Pink snow mold :: See Microdochium patch
Powdery mildew : C3: Blumeria graminis (DC.) E. O. Speer
Pseudoseptoria leaf spot : C3: Pseudoseptoria stomaticola (Bäumler) Sutton; = Selenophoma donacis (Pass.) R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson; var. stomaticola (Baumler) R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson); : P. donacis (Pass.) Sutton; = S. donacis (Pass.) R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson); : P. everhartii (Sacc. & Syd.) Sutton; = S. everhartii (Sacc. & Syd.) R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson
Pythium foliar blight and root rot: C,C3: Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp.; : P. graminicola Subramanian; : P. myriotylum Drechs.; : P. torulosum Coker & F. Patterson; : P. ultimum Trow; : P. vanterpoolii V. Kouyeas & H. Kouyeas
Pythium root and crown rot : C3: Pythium aristosporum Vanterpool; : P. arrhenomanes Drechs.; : P. catenulatum Matthews; : P. debaryanum Hesse; : P. irregulare Buisman; : P. myriotylum Drechs.; : P. periplocum Drechs.; : P. rostratum E. J. Butler; : P. tardicrescens Vanterpool; : P. vexans deBary; : P. volutum Vanterpool & Truscott
Pythium snow blight : C3: Pythium aristosporum Vanterpool; : P. horinouchiense Hirane; : P. iwayamai S. Ito; : P. graminicola Subramanian; : P. paddicum Hirane
Ramularia leaf spot : A,Ag,L,P: Ramularia pusilla Unger; = Ovularia pulchella (Ces.) Sacc.; = O. pusilla (Unger) Sacc.; = Ramularia pulchella Ces.; : Ramulaspera holci-lanati (Cavara) Lindr.
Rapid blight : A,P: Labyrinthula sp.
Red leaf spot :: See Drechslera and Marielliottia diseases
Red thread : C3: Laetisaria fuciformis (McAlpine); : Isaria fuciformis Berk. [anamorph]
Rusts :: See leaf rust, crown rust, and stripe rust
Rhizoctonia leaf and sheath spot : C3,C4: Rhizoctonia oryzae Ryker and Gooch; W. circinata Warcup & Talbot AG O [teleomorph]; : R. zeae Voorhees; W. circinata Warcup & Talbot AG Z [teleomorph]
Root decline of warm-season grasses: C4: Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx & D. Olivier var. graminis; : G. incrustans Landschoot & Jackson; : G. wongoonoo P. Wong
Seedling diseases : C3, C4: Species of Pythium, Fusarium, Microdochium, and Rhizoctonia; less often, species of Bipolaris, Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Drechslera and others
Septoria leaf spot : C3: Septoria agropyrina Lobik; : S. calamagrostidis (Lib.) Sacc.; : S. cynodontis Fuckel; : S. elymi Ellis & Everh.; : S. loligena R. Sprague; : S. macropoda Pass.; : S. macropoda Pass. var. grandis R. Sprague; : S. macropoda Pass. var. septulata (Gonz. & Frag.) R. Sprague; : S. oudemansii Sacc.; : S. secalis Prill. & Delacr. var. stipae R. Sprague; : S. tenella Cooke & Ellis; : S. triseti Speg; : S. tritici Roberge in Desmaz. var. lolicola R. Sprague & A. G. Johnson
Smuts :: See blister smut, flag smut, and stripe smut
Snow scald : C3: Myriosclerotinia borealis (Bubák & Vleugel) L. M. Kohn; = Sclerotinia borealis Bubák & Vleugel)
Southern blight : C3, C4: Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.; Athelia rolfsii (Curzi) Tu and Kimbrough [teleomorph]
Spermospora leaf spot : C3: Spermospora ciliata (R. Sprague) Deighton; : S. lolii MacGarvie & O'Rourke; : S. poagena (R. Sprague) MacGarvie & O'Rourke; = Cercosporella poagena R. Sprague
Spring dead spot : C4: Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx & D. Olivier var. graminis; : Ophiosphaerella narmari J. Walker & A. M. Sm.) Wetzel, Hulbert, & Tisserat; = Leptosphaeria narmari J. Walker & A. M. Smith; : O. korrae (J. Walker & A. M. Sm.) Shoemaker & Babcock; = L. korrae J. C. Walker & A. M. Smith; : Ophiosphaerella herpotricha (Fr.:Fr.) J. Walker
Stagonospora leaf spot : C3: Stagonospora arenaria (Sacc.) Sacc.; : S. nodorum (Berk.) Castellani & E. G. Germano; = Septoria nodorum (Berk.) Berk. in Berk. & Broome; Phaeosphaeria nodorum (E. Müller) Hedjaroude [teleomorph]; : Stagonospora avenae (A. B. Frank) Bissett; = Septoria avenae A. B. Frank; : St. paspali
Stem rust : C3,C4: Puccinia graminis Pers.:Pers.; P. graminis Pers.:Pers. subsp. graminicola Z. Urban
Stripe rust : P: Puccinia striiformis Westend.
Stripe smut : C3: Ustilago striiformis (Westend.) Niessl
String of pearls :: See frost scorch
Summer patch: C3 : Magnaporthe poae Landschoot & Jackson
Superficial fairy ring : C3: Coprinus kubickae Pilát and Svrcek; : Trechispora cohaerens (Schwein.) Julich & Stalpers; : T. farinacea (Pers.:Fr.) Liberta
Take-all patch : A: Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx & D. Olivier var. avenae (E. M. Turner) Dennis
Tar spot : C3,C4: Phyllachora spp.; : P. cynodontis (Sacc.) Niessl; : P. dactylidis Delacr.; : P. graminis (Pers.:Fr.) Nitschke; : P. minutissima (Welw. & Curr.) G. W. Sm.; : P. pennisetina Syd.; : P. sylvatica Sacc. & Speg.
Typhula blight : C3: Typhula incarnata Fr.; : T. ishikariensis Imai var. canadensis J. D. Smith & Årsvoll; : T. ishikariensis Imai var. idahoensis Årsvoll & J. D. Smith; : T. ishikariensis Imai var. ishikariensis Årsvoll & J. D. Smith
White blight : C3: Melanotus phillipsii (Berk. & Broome) Singer
Yellow patch : C3: Rhizoctonia cerealis Van der Hoeven; Ceratobasidium cereale D. Murray & L. L. Burpee [teleomorph]
Yellow tuft (downy mildew) : A,P,S: Sclerophthora macrospora (Sacc.) Thirumalachar, C. G. Shaw, & Narasimhan
Yellow ring : C3: Trechispora alnicola (Bourd. & Galzin) Liberta; Yellow tuft :: See downy mildew
Zonate leaf spot :: See Drechslera and Marielliottia diseases
Zoysia patch :: See Root decline of warm-season grasses

NEMATODES, PARASITIC : C3,C4

Awl :: Dolichodorus spp. Cobb
Cyst :: Heterodera spp. Schmidt
Dagger :: Xiphinema spp. Cobb
Lance :: Hoplolaimus spp. Daday
Lesion :: Pratylenchus spp. Filipjev
Needle :: Longidorus spp. (Micoletzky) Thorne & Swanger
Pin :: Paratylenchus spp.
Pseudo-root knot :: Hypsoperine spp. Sledge & Golden
Ring :: Criconemella, Criconemoides, Macroposthonia, and Mesocriconema spp.
Root gall :: Subanguina spp.
Root knot :: Meloidogyne spp. Goeldi
Sheath :: Hemicycliophora spp.
Sheathoid :: Hemicriconemoides spp.
Spiral :: Helicotylenchus spp. Steiner
Sting :: Belonolaimus spp. Steiner
Stubby root :: Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus spp.
Stylet or stunt :: Tylenchorhynchus spp. Cobb

VIRUS DISEASES

Centipedegrass mosaic : E: Panicum mosaic virus
St. Augustine decline : S: Panicum mosaic virus

MOLLICUTE DISEASES

Aster Yellows : aster yellows phytoplasma
White leaf : bermudagrass white leaf phytoplasma
Yellow dwarf : unknown mollicute

MISCELLANEOUS DISEASES OR DISORDERS

Black Layer : A: Anaerobic soil plus blue-green algae and/or sulfate-reducing bacteria
Slime Molds (superficial, not pathogenic) : C3,C4: Mucilago crustacea A. Wigg.; : Didymium squamulosum (Alb. & Schwein.) Fr.; : Physarum cinereum (Batsch) Pers.; : Species of Physarum and Fuligo

*Collated from: Smiley, R. W., Dernoeden, P. H., and Clarke, B. B. (eds.). 2005. Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases, 3rd Ed. Amer. Phytopathol. Soc., St. Paul, MN.