Anthracnose

Anthracnose typically infects turfgrass, particulary Wintergrass during warm weather when the turfgrass canopy is wet and or humid.

Susceptible Turfgrasses
Wintergrass, Bentgrass, Kentucky Bluegrasses, Fescue & Couch.

Symptoms

• Leaves of infected plants turn yellow to a light tan to brown before dying.

• Younger leaves often turn red.

• Basel stem & leaf sheath's rot, affected plants are easy to pull out.

• Infected areas are seen as irregular shaped patches.

• Affected patches are a reddish brown colour turning yellow then tan to brown.

• A black stain may occur at the base of infected plants, this is an acervulus, a black fungal fruiting body

Acervulus with setae visible with a microscope

Conditions favouring disease

• Disease development is favoured by warm humid conditions.

• Anthracnose favours temperatures over 25°C.

• It is necessary for a film of moisture to be present on either the roots or foliage for infection to occur.

• More than 10 hours a day of leaf wetness for consecutive days.

• Hot summers in cool temperature areas are when the disease is most noticeable.

• Soil compaction and low amounts of nitrogen also contribute to disease occurence.

Integrated turf management

• Preventative fungicide program during high risk periods.

• Decrease traffic.

• Maintain adequate nitrogen and balanced fertility.

• Do not core or aerate while disease symptoms are present.

• Avoid management practices which encourage humidity and extended leaf wetness.

Fungicidal control 

Preventative applications provide optimum control of anthracnose. The following products have label recommendation for anthracnose control in the South Africa:

Refer to respective product labels for full details

​​Suggested Programme 

Once conditions conducive to anthracnose occur, or Greencast indicates high risks of disease a preventative application of either Heritage or Banner should be applied.