Cover Story
New Research Detects a Dividing Line Across Virginia for Spring Dead Spot Species
By David McCall, Turfgrass Pathologist, and Elizabeth Bush, Plant Diagnostician, Virginia Tech
In
the 2013 Digest of Turfgrass Research edition of the Virginia Turfgrass Journal, I wrote about our current work with spring dead spot (SDS). The title of the research summary was “Rapid Diagnostic Tool for Improved Spring Dead Spot Recommendations.” This
is a project in collaboration with the Plant Disease Clinic at Virginia Tech, with the goal of bringing us one step closer to somewhat successful management of SDS. I say somewhat because if we have learned anything about this disease over the last three decades, it is that the words “immediate” and
“control” do not belong in the same sentence with SDS. Our research in Virginia has shown that even with well-timed fungicide applications in the fall, a minimum of two years is needed for substantial suppression of the disease. The same mantra has proven true in Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council
| 17