Causal Agent: Leptosphaerulina spp.
Susceptible Turfgrasses: Wintergrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bentgrass, Fescues & Ryegrass.
Symptoms
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Individual leaves generally start dying back from the tip and may have uniform yellow to brown lesions extending down to the leaf sheaths.
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Water-soaked spots on the leaf blade, may occur, these quickly fade to a bleached white colour.
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The overall effect of such lesions closely resembles bleaching from high temperatures, frost or dull mower injuries.
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Large areas of turf may become uniformly blighted or appear patchy because of local pockets or more heavily infected grass.
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Tiny brown fruiting bodies (perithecia) develop on the dead tissue.
Conditions Favouring Disease
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Periods of warm, humid weather.
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Stressful soil conditions.
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Severe on turf stressed by herbicides applied to control annual grass weeds.