Red thread disease

Red Thread Disease is a fungal infection found on lawns and other turfed areas. It is caused by the corticioid fungus Laetisaria fuciformis and has two separate stages. The stage that gives the infection its name is characterised by very thin, red, needle-like strands extending from the grass blade. These are stromata, which can remain viable in soil for two years. After germinating, the stromata infect grass leaf blades through their stomata.[1] The other stage is visible as small, pink, cotton wool-like mycelium, found where the blades meet. It is common when both warmth and humidity are high.

Identification

The first signs of infection are small irregular patches of brown/yellowing grass. Upon closer inspection, either the tiny red needles or the pink fluffy mycelium will be visible. As the infection spreads, the small patches will join to form large brown areas.

Treatment

Feeding the lawn with a nitrogen based fertiliser will help the grass recover and help prevent future attacks.

Red Thread can be treated using a fungicide that contains benomyl or carbendazim. The infection will rarely kill the grass, usually only affecting the blades and not the roots, and the lawn should recover in time.

References

  1. Buczacki, S. and Harris, K., Pests, Diseases and Disorders of Garden Plants, HarperCollins, 1998, p484

External Links (with pictures)

http://www.lawnandmower.com/red-thread-disease.aspx

http://www.grassclippings.co.uk/RedThread.pdf

http://www.rolawndirect.co.uk/turf_pest_and_disease_control-red_thread_disease.html

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, October 10, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.