• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.376-381
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• 2018

For the control of oak wilt caused by Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, an antifungal microorganism, Streptomyces blastmyceticus, was used as a potential agent. Culture suspension of S. blastmyceticus was injected into Quercus mongolicae in the research forest of Kangwon National University by $ChemJet^{(R)}$ trunk injection and Macro-infusion at root flare injection. $Alamo^{(R)}$ (a.i., propiconazole 14.5%), a fungicide currently used for the control of oak wilt in USA, was also treated by both methods to compare the efficacy. For preventive efficacy, culture suspension of the pathogen was inoculated at 1 month after injection of either agent. Tested trees were cut at 3 months after treatment, stained with 1% Fuchsin acid, and then non-conductive area (NCA) and re-isolation frequency (RIF) of oak wilt fungus were compared among treatments. While NCA was the highest as 47.3% in pathogen only treatment, it was the lowest as 16.0% in sterilized water treatment by Macro-infusion. NCAs of Alamo treatment by Macro-infusion and ChemJet injection were 25.3% and 32.1%, respectively. NCA of S.blastmyceticus treatment by ChemJet injection was 32.3%, similar with Alamo treatment's by ChemJet injection. All treatments by either injection method showed significantly lower NCA compared to the pathogen only treatment. These results indicate that S. blastmyceticus injection shows the preventive efficacy against oak wilt disease by suppressing the growth of pathogen injected. NCA of Macro-infusion injection of sterilized water was lower as 16.0%, compared to 21.3% of ChemJet injection. It means that Macro-infusion is more effective in translocation of sterilized water than ChemJet injection by even distribution. RIF from wood discs of treated trees showed high in pathogen only treatment, but relatively low in S. blastmyceticus treatment. RIF results were correlated with NCA results. From the above results, it was confirmed that S. blastmyceticus showed preventive efficacy against oak wilt disease by ChemJet trunk or Macro-infusion at root flare injection.

• 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.20 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2006

Scz1, an isolate of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, was recently reported as a novel pathogen responsible for dollar spot disease in Zoysiagrass, a warm season turfgrass. Scz1 possessed different characteristics on mycelial pigment, mycelial affinity and host pathogenecity compared to those of Scb1, a typical isolate, obtained from creeping bentgrass, a cool season turfgrass. In this study, only three isolates, Scz1, Scz2(another analogous isolate of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa from zoysiagrass), and Scb1, were examined at the molecular level using the internal transcribed spacer(ITS) and random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) assays to verify their identification and genetic variation. As a result of ITS assay, partial ITS sequences of three isolates showed 94-97% similarity with a standardized ITS sequence of S. homoeocarpa registered on BLAST. In the analysis of RAPD, range value through similarity matrix was 0.167 between Scz1 and Scb1, 0.139 between Scz2 and Scb1, and 0.713 between Scz1 and Scz2, respectively. Furthermore, tendegram analysis indicated that Scz1 and Scz2, unlike Scb1, were clustered together as accompanying a high genetic similarity. In in vitro fungicide bioassay, $EC_{50}$ value representing the sensitivity degree to propiconazole, a well-known fungicide for dollar spot disease, was 0.012 ${\mu}g/ml$ for Sczl, 0.003 ${\mu}g/ml$ for Scz2, and 0.030 ${\mu}g/ml$ for Scb1. From all data taken, we concluded that both Scz1 and Scz2 belonged to one group of S. homoeocarpa, since they exhibit the same host range and high level of genetic similarity, whereas their chemical competences to a fungicide were different. This study would provide further approach for assessing genetic diversity of S. homoeocarpa isolates as well as characterizing individual isolate against chemical exposure.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 2008

Recently irregular dark-colored patches were found on the Kentucky teeing ground in a golf course in Gyunggi providence. Interestingly, blue-green algae from the leaf tissue sample containing black spot-stained symptoms were largely observed through microscopic study. In general, algae present on the upper soil surface or in the upper layer of root zone form dark brown layers of scum or crust, which invoked harmful effects to turf growth such as poor drainage, inhibition of new root development. In this observation, unlike the algae were sometime found in senescing leaves on contacted soil in July and August, the blue-green algae were detected within black spot-stained Kentucky bluegrass leaf tissues including leaf blade, ligule, auriclea as well as leaf sheath. The blue-green algae were also detected on the leaf and stem tissue adjacent to the symptomatic leaf tissues. Two species of blue-green algae, Phomidium and Oscillatoria, were greatly observed. Oscillatoria species was more commonly notified in all samples. In addition, the two species were found on a putting green showing yellow spot disease at another golf course in Gyunggi providence. The data from chemical control assay revealed that chemicals such as propiconazole, iprodione, and azoxystrobin decreased blue-green algae population and leaf spots, which finally resulted in enhanced leaf quality. All taken together, we strongly suggested that the disease-like phenomenon by blue-green algae might be very closely mediated with infection/translocation process in relation with turfgrass. It indicates that blue-green algae in turf management may play an adverse role as a secondary barrier as well as a pathogenic agent. This report may be helpful for superintendents to recognize and understand the fact that algae control should be provided more cautiously and seriously than we did previously in upcoming golf course management.