[Research updates] Rapid Blight biology and integrated management

Rapid Blight, presumably caused by an undescribed species of Chytridiomycete fungus, has caused extensive and costly damage to golf course greens, tees and fairways with rough bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass in several western states and in the southeastern United States.

Researchers at Clemson University have recently initiated research to investigate the identification and basic biology of the causal organism, including elucidation of the life cycle of the pathogen and disease epidemiology. They are also determining the influence of irrigation water (salinity, sodicity, and bicarbonates) and soil edaphic properties on disease severity and epidemiology. Preliminary data indicate that salinity linked to irrigation water quality plays a major role in disease development. Rapid Blight has been diagnosed primarily in the fall, winter and spring months, suggesting that cooler temperatures also may promote the disease. Additional preliminary results indicate a high degree of susceptibility in cultivars of rough bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, while certain cultivars of alkalingrass and creeping red fescue appear to contain levels of resistance. GCN