Which cultural practice helps reduce brown patch pressure when conditions favor the disease?

Which cultural practice helps reduce brown patch pressure when conditions favor the disease?

• A. Not fertilizing when brown patch is active
• B. Increase nitrogen fertilization during warm weather
• C. Watering late in the day
• D. Overseeding heavily to dilute patches

Answer: (A)

Managing brown patch hinges on limiting the conditions the fungus thrives in. When conditions are warm and humid, brown patch is more aggressive on turf that is growing vigorously. Not fertilizing when the disease is active helps because it slows turf growth and keeps leaf area and moisture at lower levels, reducing the lush canopy that the pathogen needs to spread. Increasing nitrogen in warm weather would push more growth and canopy density, which makes the turf and leaf surfaces more hospitable to the disease. Watering late in the day leaves leaves wet overnight, creating ideal conditions for infection, and overseeding heavily can increase thatch and moisture retention, providing more habitat for the pathogen. The key idea is dialing back growth during periods of high disease pressure to weaken the pathogen’s opportunity to take hold.

Managing brown patch hinges on limiting the conditions the fungus thrives in. When conditions are warm and humid, brown patch is more aggressive on turf that is growing vigorously. Not fertilizing when the disease is active helps because it slows turf growth and keeps leaf area and moisture at lower levels, reducing the lush canopy that the pathogen needs to spread.

Increasing nitrogen in warm weather would push more growth and canopy density, which makes the turf and leaf surfaces more hospitable to the disease. Watering late in the day leaves leaves wet overnight, creating ideal conditions for infection, and overseeding heavily can increase thatch and moisture retention, providing more habitat for the pathogen. The key idea is dialing back growth during periods of high disease pressure to weaken the pathogen’s opportunity to take hold.