• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.241-250
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• 2000

In 1997, a new disease on creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass occurred in the green and fairway of a few golf courses in Korea. The disease spread gradually throughout the country and became a threat to turfgrass management. Symptoms of the disease consisted of small, circular, and sunken patches sized 3~5cm in diameter. The disease named as a dollar spot following its characteristic symptoms of circular blight and bleach on the green. The disease peaked two times in a year from April to June and from late August to October and white cottony mycelia of the causal fungus developed on diseased turfs in the early morning when the conditions were favored. A causal fungus was consistently isolated from the infected tufgrass and seven isolates originated from seven golf courses located in six provinces were selected for further study. The fungus produced abundant white aerial mycelia on PDA and turned to dark gray or light brown as it aged. Width of the mycelium was ca. $5~8\mu\textrm{m}$. While sclerotia were not readily formed on the medium, scattered small and dark colored stromata were developed on the surface. The fungus grew well on PDA between 5 to $30^{\circ}C$ and maximally around $25^{\circ}C$. Based on investigated mycological and cultural characteristics, the causal agent of dollar spot was identified as Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. The fungus showed strong pathogenicity to several turfs as creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescues, and zoysiagrass.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2012

Dollar spot caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Benn. is a common and economically important turfgrass disease in South Korea. Fungicides were evaluated for control of dollar spot in creeping bentgrass golf course putting green. Commercial formulations of propiconazole, thiophanate-methyl, chlorothalonil, trifloxystrobin and boscalid were applied to plots of creeping bentgrass, each of the latter four fungicides was tank mixed with propiconazole at the same rates, and applied as treatments. The dollar spot severity in the nontreated plots of field A and B progressed toward peak diseases of 18.3 and 66.7% from 10 or 15 days after inoculation, respectively. Significant differences were detected among control values of the fungicides. Dollar spot control provided by boscalid was significantly greater than the other fungicides which showed low control values in a higher disease condition. No synergistic interactions, except propiconazole + thiophanate-methyl treated plot, were detected under a lower disease pressure. However, under a higher disease pressure, synergism was observed at all fungicide combinations, except a propiconazole and boscalid tank mixture. These data suggest turfgrass managers in golf course can take advantage of fungicide synergism to control dollar spot using the products and rates in this study.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2006

Dollar spot caused by Sclerotinia homeocarpa is one of major diseases in putting greens. Microorganisms antagonistic to S. homeocarpa, a pathogen of dollar spot, were primarily screened through in vitro tests, including dual culture method and triple layer agar diffusion method. In vivo tests were also conducted to select the best candidate for a biocontrol microorganism, using pot experiment. Bacillus subtilis EW42-1 and Trichoderma harziaum GBF-0208 were finally selected as biocontrol agents against dollar spot. Relative Performance Index(RPI) was used as a criterion of selecting potential biocontrol agents. B. subtilis EW42-1 and T. harzianum GBF-0208 showed resistance to several agrochemicals mainly used in a golf course. B. subtilis EW42-1 and T. harzianum GBF-0208 suppressed effectively the disease progress of dollar spot like synthetic fungicide tebuconazole in the nursery where dollar spot had seriously occurred. B. subtilis EW42-1 and T. harzianum GBF-0208 have a potential to be biocontrol agents for the control of dollar spot.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2010

Dollar spot and brown patch disease are the most economically important disease for highly maintained turfgrass area such as golf courses. Previous researches indicated that various natural fertilizers are good nitrogen (N) sources and they may lead to turf disease suppression because disease suppression by natural N sources may be due to microbial activity increased. Increased microbial activities in soil reduce the activity of plant pathogen. The objective of this study was to evaluate efficacy of various N sources to suppress dollar spot and brown patch on creeping bentgrass. The seven N sources and fungicide combinations were investigated for turf disease suppression. $Emerald^{TM}$ and $ProStar^{TM}$ were applied for the applications of fungicide combination. No differences were found on turf quality among N source treatments. However, there was significant difference on turf quality between fungicide combination and fungicide combination plus urea. Overall, N source had no significant effects on suppression of dollar spot and brown patch. Although there were a few differences among N source treatments, fungicide treatments were needed for turf disease suppression for highly maintained turfgrass area such as golf courses.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2005

A fungal isolate was newly collected from Zoysiagrass 'Anyang-Joongji' in small circular patches on a fairway ofa golf course in Korea, which seriously occurred during the early summer period of 2005. The isolate presented on PDAmedium, named Scz1, was closely identical to Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, a casual fungus of dollar spot disease, in cool season turf grasses such as creeping bentgrass. Hereby, this study was accomplished to characterize the isolate and compare it with the fungus, named Scb1, isolated from dollar spot-infected creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds. cv Penncross). On PDAmedium, individual mycelial appearance of three isolates was very similar except for the pigment. Mycelial pigments of Scz1 and Scz2 (another analogous isolate collected) were light pinkish on the reverse side of PDA medium but that of Scb1 was dark brownish. In a microscopic study, three isolates were barely distinguishable in the appearance of mycelia. As expected, in the temperaturesensitivity assay, all pathogens were very delicate to $32^{circ}C$ above but not to $30^{circ}C$ below, in which was explained to be one of typical characteristics in S. homoeocarpa. In an artificial inoculation assay, disease symptoms including leaf spots in Zoysiagrass were appeared within 6-7 days after inoculation through the hand inoculation method with the isolate-infested soil. Then the fungus was re-identified from the infected leaf tissues. Interestingly, inoculation of isolate Scz1 gave rise to distinct symptoms in only Zoysiagrass but not in creeping bentgrass 'Penncross' and Kentucky bluegrass 'Midnight'. The observation might be involved in host specific pathogenecity of S. homoeocarpa Scz1 to Zoysiagrass. In a chemical sensitivity assay for the isolate, Scz1, showed a high mycelial inhibition against two fungicides, iprodione and propiconazole. All results described above suggest that S. homoeocarpa Scz1 is a primary pathogen of Zoysia dollar spot disease.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2011

Creeping bentgrass (Agrosis stolonifera L.) is regarded to be the most widely used cool-season turf grass species grown on golf greens and fairways in temperate climates of North America. Creeping bentgrass is highly susceptible to the fungal disease 'dollar spot' caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. Dollar spot is a foliar disease favored by conditions of high humidity, warm days, and cool nights. Studies using Aliette Signature (Fosetyl Aluminum formulated with a green pigment) mixed with another broad-spectrum fungicide do not always provide additional visual quality benefits compared to the fungicide alone. The exact mechanism for improved summer visual quality, when it occurs, is not known. Fertility management and environment likely contribute. The object of this study is to evaluate fungicide strategies for control of dollar spot and effect on visual quality during summer and on an L-93/G-2 creeping bentgrass green. Nine fungicide combinations were used for this study. Disease control and visual quality by fungicides was evaluated on an established G-2/L-93 creeping bentgrass green at 3-hole Sunshine Golf Course in Lemont, IL. All fungicide combination showed excellent dollar spot suppression except Fore throughout the study. Visual quality of greens by addition of Aliette Signature is enhanced when bentgrass growth is compromised and slow. Dollar spot levels in Fore plots increased to 30% on 14 August, and was no different than untreated plots. Unacceptable quality by Fore was due to lack of dollar spot control.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.408-412
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• 2013

Dollar spot caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Benn. is a common and economically important turfgrass disease in South Korea. Fungicides mixture (propiconazole 25% + boscalid 47%) treatments, showing synergistic interaction, with three application rates (low: 50.3 ml $10a^{-1}$ and 97.5 g $10a^{-1}$, intermediate: 67.0 ml $10a^{-1}$ and 130.0 g $10a^{-1}$, and high: 100.5 ml $10a^{-1}$ and 195.0 g $10a^{-1}$) and two application intervals (10 and 15 days) were evaluated for control of dollar spot in creeping bentgrass golf course putting green. In both nontreated plots of field A and B, the disease has severed as 48.3 and 60.0% after the pathogen inoculation. Two fungicide mixture treatments showed significantly higher the disease control effect than a single fungicide treatment (propiconazole). Field A which showed more the disease severity but the fungicide still showed acceptable level of the disease efficacy (89.0%), significant differences in control value were not detected among treatments. The results suggest that the lower application rate of two fungicides mixture treatments may reduce the dollar spot disease severity in creeping bentgrass golf course putting green.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

Antifungal activity of 20 chemicals registered to turfgrass diseases was evaluated. Among the chemicals, iprodione, benomyl, iprodione+thiram, pencycuron+tebuconazole, hexaconazole, and iprodione+thiophanate-methyl exhibited high antifungal activity to the dollar spot fungus. All isolates were greatly inhibited by the chemicals at the concentration over 32ppm($\mu\textrm{g}$/ml). However, sensitivity of the isolates to chemicals was varied at the lower concentration as 8 and 16 ppm as follows. The isolate originated from Ora golf course was resistant to iprodione and iprodione+thiophanate methyl, Gonjiam isolate to iprodion, Youngpyung isolate to iprodione+thiram, and Dogo isolate to iprodione+thiram, pencycuron+tebuconazole, and tebuconazole. It was found from this study that the varied chemical resistance among the isolates was positively related to the application time of the chemical in the golf course. Consequently, when a chemical was applied more often times than the others to the golf course, the fungal isolates originate from the field showed higher resistance to the former chemical. Effects of the chemicals on control of the dollar spot was evaluated in the field. All tested chemicals revealed over 70% disease control efficacy, however, mepronil+propiconazole was the best showing 83% control efficacy and followed by fenarimo, iprodione, terbuconazole, thiram, and thiophanate-methyl.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.161-164
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• 2010

Dollar spot, caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett, is the most economically important turfgrass disease on golf courses in North America due to its persistent nature. Fungicides, plant growth regulators, and other products were evaluated for preventative control of dollar spot and the secondary effects on brown patch and Pythium in a mixed stand of creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass golf course putting green. Most fungicides provided excellent control of dollar spot throughout the trial but Rhapsody alone did not provide adequate control. Civitas applied alone and tank-mixed with Banner MAXX(R) and Daconil Ultrex(R) provided acceptable control throughout the study. No phytotoxicity was observed on any of the treatments applied but a darker green color and reduction in turfgrass growth was observed in a treatment with plant growth regulator, Trimmit. Treatments that contained Civitas and the Civitas Harmonizer also exhibited green pigmentation.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 1999

Effect of an antagonistic bacterium AF-2001, Pseudomonas cepacia, on control of turfgrass diseases as brown patch, Pythium blight, dollar spot, and large patch were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results obtained in this study are summarized as follows. 1. Pseudomonas cepacia AF-2001 showed antagonism against to the pathogens causing brown patch, Pythium blighe, dollar spot and large patch. Especially, the biological agent showed strong antagonistic effect on the causal pathogens of brown patch, dollar spot, and anthracnose, but weak on Pythium blight 2. Populotion density of P. cepacia AR-2001 decreased ra;idly in turfgrass soils. Initial population of the agent was 2.4$\times$107 cfu/g soil, however, decreased to 1.4$\times$103, 6$\times$102 and 0 cfu/g soil on 10, 20, and 30 days after application, respectively. 3. Under the controlled controlled conditions of $27^{\circ}C$ and 95% RH, P. cepacia AR-2001 showed 100% control efficacy on brown patch either by pre-treatment or post-treatment of infection. However, Pythium blight was controlled about 94% by pre-treatment and only 29% by post-treatment 4. In field trials, P. cepacia AF-2001 did not suppress large patch and the control efficacy on other turfgrass diseases was lower than agro-chemicals such as tebuconazole and metalaxyl. Control efficacy of brown patch, Pythium and dollar spot by the biological agent was 57.4%, 40.4%, 61.5~87%, respectively. 5. Growth, color and texture of creeping bentgrass were not differ significantly between AF-2001 treatment and untreated control.