ABSTRACT
Fairy ring is a persistent and troublesome disease of turfgrasses throughout the world. Many basidiomycete or “mushroom” fungi are responsible for this destructive disease on lawns, park and recreation areas, and golf course turf. Recent widespread epidemics on many golf courses throughout the United States have led investigators to evaluate possible fairy ring management strategies. Field studies were conducted at five locations in the United States during 1996–97 and 1999 to evaluate conventional and innovative fairy ring control methods on golf course turf. Conventional approaches tested at three locations included curative applications of nitrogen fertilizer, and curative treatments of fungicides applied in conjunction with soil surfactants. These methods were effective at suppressing or masking disease symptoms. At a fourth location, an innovative approach tested was curative applications of fungicides applied through high-pressure injection. This method was successful at reducing diseases symptoms and rapidly enhancing turfgrass recovery. At a fifth location, another novel approach evaluated applications of a fungicide plus soil surfactant on golf course putting greens prior to the appearance of fairy ring development. No fairy ring symptoms were observed in those plots treated with the preventive program, while severe turf injury was observed in untreated plots. Information from these five field studies could contribute to the development of a fairy ring management program for golf courses.
