Evaluation of Preventive Fungicide Applications for Fairy Ring Control in Golf Putting Greens and In Vitro Sensitivity of Fairy Ring Species to Fungicides

Fairy ring species induce symptoms on putting greens mostly indirectly, by modifying the soil physical or chemical properties. Therefore, preventive rather than curative fungicide applications may be more effective in managing fairy ring. Two field experiments were conducted on a creeping bentgrass research green to evaluate fairy ring control from preventive fungicide applications. A 3-year study investigated the optimal rate and soil temperature-based timing of a preventive application of triadimefon and tebuconazole. A 2-year study evaluated the impact of irrigation timing and fungicide + surfactant tank mixtures on the efficacy of preventive applications of triadimefon and triticonazole. Fungicide-treated plots in both studies exhibited less fairy ring severity than untreated plots. Data suggest that a 5-day average soil temperature range of 13 to 16°C may be suitable for initiating preventive applications. Symptoms occurred earlier in plots treated with a surfactant tank mix than in those treated with fungicide alone. Irrigation timing had no effect on fungicide performance. The sensitivity of 16 isolates representing major fairy ring species to flutolanil, propiconazole, tebuconazole, triadimefon, and triticonazole was determined with a mycelial growth assay. No significant differences in fungicide sensitivity were detected among species. Isolates had significantly higher 50% effective concentration values for triadimefon than for the other fungicides tested.