Disease Response of Bermudagrasses to Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis . M. L. Elliott, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale 33314. Plant Dis. 79:699-702. Accepted for publication 13 April 1995. Copyright 1995 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-79-0699.

A greenhouse study evaluated 28 bermudagrass accessions, 27 from the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program plus the commonly used cultivar Tifdwarf, for their response to the root rot fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, which causes bermudagrass decline of golf course putting greens in Florida. Four isolates of the fungus at three different inoculum levels were used. As evaluated, there appears to be no resistance or tolerance to this fungus among the bermudagrass germ plasm tested. More than one G. g. var. graminis isolate at more than one inoculum level was necessary to make adequate evaluations.

Keyword(s): Cynodon spp.