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Diseases of Turfgrasses

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

Abbreviations of names for turfgrass species are:

• A =Agrostiscanina L. (velvet bentgrass), A. stolonifera L. (creeping bentgrass), and A. capillaris L. (colonial bentgrass)
• Ag =Agropyroncristatum (L.) Gaertn. (crested wheatgrass)
• Ax =Axonopus fissifolius (Raddi) Kuhlm. (common carpetgrass)
• B =Buchloëdactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. (buffalograss)
• C =Cynodondactylon (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 =Eremochloaophiuroides (Munro) Hack. (centipedegrass)
• F = Festucaarundinacea 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 =Loliummultiflorum Lam. (Italian ‘annual’ ryegrass) and L. perenne L. (perennial ryegrass)
• P =Poaannua L. (annual bluegrass), P. pratensis L. (Kentucky bluegrass), and P. trivialis L. (rough bluegrass)
• Pa =Paspalumnotatum Fluegge (bahiagrass)
• Ph =Phleum bertolonii DC. (turf timothy)
• Pe =Pennisetumclandestinum Hochst. ex Chiov. (kikuyugrass)
• S =Stenotaphrumsecundatum (Walter) Kuntze (St. Augustinegrass)
• Z =Zoysiamatrella (L.) Merr. (Manilagrass), Z. japonica Steud. (Japanese lawngrass), and Z. tenuifolia Willd. ex Thiele (Mascarenegrass)

Bacterial wilt : A,C,P

Xanthomonas translucens Vauterin et al.

Black Layer :: See section on Miscellaneous Diseases and Disorders

Anthracnose : C3,C4

Colletotrichumgraminicola (Ces.) G. W. Wils.

    Glomerellagraminicola Politis [teleomorph]

:Microdochiumbolleyi (R. Sprague) De Hoog & Hermanides-Nijhof

=Gloeosporiumbolleyi R. Sprague

:Volutellacolletotrichoides 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

Bipolarissorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoemaker

    Cochliobolussativus (Ito & Kuribayashi) Drechs. ex Dastur [teleomorph]

C :B. cynodontis (Marignoni) Shoemaker

    Cochlioboluscynodontis R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]

Pe :B. australiensis (M. B. Ellis) Tsuda & Ueyama

    Cochliobolusaustraliensis (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

    Cochliobolusspicifer R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]

C :B. stenospila (Drechs.) Shoemaker

    Cochliobolusstenospilus Matsumoto & W. Yamamoto [teleomorph]

Ag,C,S :Exserohilum rostratum (Drechs.) K. J. Leonard & E. G. Suggs

    Setosphaeriarostrata K. J. Leonard [teleomorph]

Blister smut : C3

Entyloma dactylidis (Pass.) Cif.

Brown patch and large patch : C3,C4

Rhizoctoniasolani Kühn AG 1

    Thanatephoruscucumeris (A. B. Frank) Donk [teleomorph]

: R. solani Kühn AG 2,2

Brown stripe : C3,C4

Cercosporidium graminis (Fuckel) Deighton

Cephalosporium stripe : L,P

Cephalosporiumgramineum Nisikada & Ikata in Nisikado et al.

= Hymenulacerealis Ellis & Everh.

Cercospora leaf spot : A,B,C,F,S

Cercosporaagrostidis Atk.

: C. festucae Hardison

:C. seminalis Ellis & Everh.

:Phaeoramulariafusimaculans (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

Pucciniacoronata Corda

Curvularia blight : C3,C4

Curvularia eragrostidis (Henn.) J. A. Meyer

    Pseudocochlioboluseragrostidis (Tsuda & Ueyama) Sivanesan [teleomorph]

:C. geniculata (Tracy & Earle) Boedijn

    Cochliobolusgeniculatus R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]

: C. intermedia Boedijn

    Cochliobolusintermedius R. R. Nelson [teleomorph]

:C. lunata (Wakk.) Boedijn

    Cochlioboluslunatus (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: Clarireedia bennettii C. Salgado, L.A. Beirn, B.B. Clarke, & J.A. Crouch

    = Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Benn.

F: C. homoeocarpa (F.T. Benn.) L.A. Beirn, B.B. Clarke, C. Salgado, & J.A. Crouch

   = S. homoeocarpa F.T. Benn.

C3: C. jacksonii C. Salgado, L.A. Beirn, B.B. Clarke, & J.A. Crouch

   = S. homoeocarpa F.T. Benn.

C,Pv: C. monteithiana C. Salgado, L.A. Beirn, B.B. Clarke, & J.A. Crouch

   ​= S. homoeocarpa F.T. Benn.

​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

    Pyrenophoradictyoides Paul and Parberry [teleomorph]

D.siccans (Drechs.) Shoemaker

    Pyrenophoralolii 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

    Epichloetyphina (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

Urocystisagropyri (G. Preuss) J. Schröt.

Frost scorch : A,F,P

Sclerotiumrhizodes Auersw.

Fusarium leaf spot, crown and root rot : P

Fusariumacuminatum Ellis & Everh.

    Gibberellaacuminata 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

    Magnaporthegrisea (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

Pucciniabrachypodii 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 :Uromycesdactylidis G. Otth

Leptosphaerulina leaf blight : C3

Leptosphaerulinatrifolii (Rostr.) Petr.

=L. australis McAlpine

Mastigosporium leaf spot (leaf fleck) : A, Ph

Mastigosporium rubricosum (Dearn. & Barth.) Nannf.

M. kitzebergense Schlosser

Microdochium patch : C3

Microdochiumnivale (Fr.) Samuels and I. C. Hallett

=Fusariumnivale Ces. ex Berl. & Voglino

=Gerlachianivalis (Ces. ex Berl. & Voglino) W. Gams & E. Müller

    Monographellanivalis (Schaffnit) E. Müller [teleomorph]

=Calonectrianivalis Schaffnit

=Micronectriellanivalis (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

Nigrosporasphaerica (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

Limonomycesroseipellis 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

=Selenophomadonacis (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

Pythiumaphanidermatum (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

Pythiumaristosporum 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

Ramulariapusilla Unger

=Ovulariapulchella (Ces.) Sacc.

=O. pusilla (Unger) Sacc.

=Ramulariapulchella Ces.

:Ramulasperaholci-lanati (Cavara) Lindr.

Rapid blight : A,P

Labyrinthula sp.

Red leaf spot :: See Drechslera and Marielliottia diseases

Red thread : C3

Laetisariafuciformis (McAlpine)

    :Isariafuciformis Berk. [anamorph]

Rusts :: See leaf rust, crown rust, and stripe rust

Rhizoctonia leaf and sheath spot : C3,C4

Rhizoctoniaoryzae 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

Gaeumannomycesgraminis (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

Myriosclerotiniaborealis (Bubák & Vleugel) L. M. Kohn

=Sclerotiniaborealis Bubák & Vleugel)

Southern blight : C3, C4

Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

    Atheliarolfsii (Curzi) Tu and Kimbrough [teleomorph]

Spermospora leaf spot : C3

Spermosporaciliata (R. Sprague) Deighton

:S. lolii MacGarvie & O'Rourke

:S. poagena (R. Sprague) MacGarvie & O'Rourke

= Cercosporellapoagena R. Sprague

Spring dead spot : C4

Gaeumannomycesgraminis (Sacc.) Arx & D. Olivier var. graminis

:Ophiosphaerellanarmari J. Walker & A. M. Sm.) Wetzel, Hulbert, & Tisserat

= Leptosphaerianarmari J. Walker & A. M. Smith

:O. korrae (J. Walker & A. M. Sm.) Shoemaker & Babcock

= L. korrae J. C. Walker & A. M. Smith

:Ophiosphaerellaherpotricha (Fr.:Fr.) J. Walker

Stagonospora leaf spot : C3

Stagonosporaarenaria (Sacc.) Sacc.

:S. nodorum (Berk.) Castellani & E. G. Germano

=Septorianodorum (Berk.) Berk. in Berk. & Broome

    Phaeosphaerianodorum (E. Müller) Hedjaroude [teleomorph]

:Stagonosporaavenae (A. B. Frank) Bissett

=Septoriaavenae A. B. Frank

:St.paspali

Stem rust : C3,C4

Puccinia graminis Pers.:Pers.

P. graminis Pers.:Pers. subsp. graminicola Z. Urban

Stripe rust : P

Pucciniastriiformis Westend.

Stripe smut : C3

Ustilagostriiformis (Westend.) Niessl

String of pearls :: See frost scorch

Summer patch

C3 :Magnaporthepoae Landschoot & Jackson

Superficial fairy ring : C3

Coprinus kubickae Pilát and Svrcek

: Trechisporacohaerens (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

Typhulaincarnata 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

Melanotusphillipsii (Berk. & Broome) Singer

Yellow patch : C3

Rhizoctonia cerealis Van der Hoeven

    Ceratobasidiumcereale D. Murray & L. L. Burpee [teleomorph]

Yellow tuft (downy mildew) : A,P,S

Sclerophthoramacrospora (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

• 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

Centipedegrass mosaic : E

Panicum mosaic virus

St. Augustine decline : S

Panicum mosaic virus

Aster Yellows : aster yellows phytoplasma

White leaf : bermudagrass white leaf phytoplasma

Yellow dwarf : unknown mollicute

Black Layer : A

Anaerobic soil plus blue-green algae and/or sulfate-reducing bacteria

Slime Molds (superficial, not pathogenic) : C3,C4

Mucilagocrustacea A. Wigg.

:Didymium squamulosum (Alb. & Schwein.) Fr.

:Physarumcinereum (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.