Leptosphaerulina Leaf Blight
Causal Agent
Leptosphaerulina spp.
What is Leptosphaerulina leaf blight?
Leptosphaerulina leaf blight is a disease that causes individual leaves to start dying back from the tip and may have uniform yellow to brown lesions extending down to the leaf sheaths.
What are the Symptoms of Leptosphaerulina leaf blight?
Symptoms of Leptosphaerulina leaf blight can sometimes be confused with symptoms of Nigrospora Leaf Spot, Ascochyta Leaf Blight or Dollar Spot. The symptoms of Leptosphaerulina leaf blight include:
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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
Leptosphaerulina Leaf Blight INFO SHEETTurfgrasses particularly susceptible to Leptosphaerulina leaf blight are:
Wintergrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bentgrass, Fescues & Ryegrass.
When does Leptosphaerulina leaf blight occur?
Conditions that favour Leptosphaerulina leaf blight include:
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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.
What can I do to manage and control Leptosphaerulina leaf blight?
Management practices that can help control or reduce instances of Leptosphaerulina leaf blight include:
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Apply adequate amounts of balanced fertilisers to ensure a healthy turf.
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Irrigate thoroughly, deeply and infrequently as possible to avoid moisture stress.
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Do not irrigate turf in the later afternoon or evening.
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Do not mow grass when it is wet.
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Avoid applying herbicides or installing new sod during or before extended periods of hot, humid weather.
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Practice good turfgrass management to prevent severe turfgrass stress.
