Message Board - Bowls: Problem identification
19 Nov 2010 by alan bentley
Could anyone help identify the problem shown in the photo. At the momoent it is confined to 2 small areas of approx 2 sq metres.The rest of the bowling green (crown) is looking very healthy and I do not want the problem to spread. Having researched this site it looks to me like it could be anthracnose but being an inexperienced amateur I would appreciate a second opinion and any remedial action that may be required. At the moment I am just keeping the areas well aerated and the green is brushed or switched every day, weather permitting. The green was treated with a preventative fungicide during our end of season work in early October as fusarium has been a regular problem for us at this time of year.
19 Nov 2010 by alan bentley
Here is a close up of the area.
19 Nov 2010 by Ken Barber
Hi Alan,
Unfortunately, the picture is slightly out of focus, so it is difficult to really identify your problem. However, I agree it does look a little like anthracnose. Can you produce a better picture?
There a few chemicals will check it but its not an easy one to control. I recently applied Instrata to control both fusarium and anthracnose with good success. You could also apply a drench of seaweed and molasses which will stimulate some recovery should the temperature rise somewhat.
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
19 Nov 2010 by Steve G
Any better shots? If you are in the Manchester area PM me and I will come and have a look.
Steve
20 Nov 2010 by alan bentley
Thanks Ken is this picture any clearer.
Steve, thankyou for the offer but we are located in the West Midlands.
20 Nov 2010 by Ken Barber
Yes..... I am certain it is anthracnose. I should know, my Poa greens are always getting hit with it in late summer.
My recommendations as above. You could also apply some chelated Fe.
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
20 Nov 2010 by Grassman2011
Ken, can you answer me this please. Anthrocnose, would it be caused mostly through over feeding and or watering ?
I only ever come across it when the sward is extremely dense and over fed and watered. Is that your take or is there something else? I always want to learn.
20 Nov 2010 by A J
We had an attack of Anthrocnose about three summers ago during a hot humid spell in the july, if i remember rightly. it appeared on the outfield and strangely enough seemed to go in a straight line for a good 15 metres by 1 metre wide or so?. By the time it was properly identified the whole area had to tilthed up & re seeded. Recoverd ok after that & haven`t experienced anything like it again. Funny enough the PC magizine had a spread on the subject at the time.
We put it down to hot spell we had during that time. Very strange we didn`t have it anywhere else.
Grow in grace...........
21 Nov 2010 by Michael Rogers
A lack of nitrogen is part of cause of anthracnose along with compaction. Either insufficient nitrogen present or no biological conversion of NH4 to NO3 because of no available oxygen. NH4 can be taken up directly by plant but off top of my head I do not know the mechanisms involved.
Microbials, compost tea, maybe potassium nitrate.
21 Nov 2010 by Ken Barber
Hi Bath, I can only answer in regard to my own experiences...... managing golf greens. I had it in creeping bentgrass greens on the odd occasion during the 90's. They had little Poa annua so this was hitting the bents. They were not excessively thatched or irrigated and were kept a little on the lean side in terms on N input. It appeared in late August and usually disappeared with a shot of immediately available N.
In recent years at my current club the greens are of reasonable USGA construction and 80% - 85% Poa annua, with the odd patch of yorkshire fog, bent and fescue. Every year the Poa gets hit by anthracnose and for the most part I let it run its course to hopefully give the bents/fescues a chance, especially with the over-seeding program.
However, what was very noticeable this year, was that the anthracnose was worse in areas that had become hydrophobic earlier in the summer. Anywhere that had been stressed by dry-patch later suffered anthracnose. Draw your own conclusions from this.
Interestingly, we had one green that always suffered dry-patch in the back section due to tree roots. Last year we dug a trench, cut all the roots and inserted a heavy plastic sheet vertically to prevent the roots from encroaching again. This year the dry-patch did not appear and bents filled in amazingly quick.
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
21 Nov 2010 by Anthony Asquith Last edited 21 Nov 2010
Michael is right.
Because Nitrogen is the most growth limiting nutrient and because it is transitory and dynamic it can be subject to rapid conversion and losses from soils, especially under, not so ideal conditions, inadequate roots and free draining soils. NH4 and NO3 can be directly utilized by plants but depending on soil conditions at the time, it's conversion from organic complex forms can vary under different soil conditions ie low oxygen, compaction, high moisture, temperature etc. Losses can also be great under anearoebic conditions via denitrification and via leaching from precipitation. Usually, turnover of matter is dynamic under most conditions and is termed Aminization or Mineralisation, Ammonification and then Nitrification and nitrification is rapid in most soils so NH4 does not tend to stay around too long (I have measured 3/4 days in some of my trials) but it is always occuring under favorable conditions.
(For those that are interested I have seen some interesting traits on PH on many Nitrogen forms that I have been looking at for a few years on controlled plots).
Anthracnose cannot be put down to just lack of Nitrogen but also stress, compaction etc or all of them but it does tend to show the N levels are on the edge as the proccesses involved above are sometimes not enough to sustain the plants requirement for it (not like S etc) hence supplementation is required of some sort (usually a touch of Nitogen but I have also growed this out under favourable growing conditions). It attacks Poa Annua but and here is the interesting thing. On my trial plots over the last couple of years I have seen huge variability in Poa biotypes to some that has been very susceptible to some that have not even showed signs of pathogenic attack under similar conditions (moisture, microclimate, compaction etc) which shows the huge variability of Poa Biotypes in being susceptible to basel rot, from some true Annuals to some Perrenial forms.
AA
21 Nov 2010 by Grassman2011
Thankyou Michael, Ken and Anthony.
Certainly a little more understanding, but as AA says, can be variable between types of grass, or poa at least.
Perhaps my situation was not overfeeding at all but actually compaction and a very wet surface.
Many thanks all.
21 Nov 2010 by Ken Barber
I think anything that places the plant under stress can bring the onset of anthracnose. What is interesting is that I aerate more than most people and with USGA spec greens that are not supposed to compact as readily? I verti-drain spring and autumn, solid tine between 3" and 7" with 8mm tines on average 6 times during the growing season and sarel roll like there's no tomorrow...... Sometimes as many as 3x double sarel rolls per week. So I shouldn't really have a compaction issue. I have increased my feeding program this year..... Mostly organic and compost teas every two weeks. Yet I still had some anthracnose this year!
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
21 Nov 2010 by Michael Rogers
AA, When NH4 is taken to NO3 in a wastewater station for every 14 mg of N there is taken out 2 miiliequivalents of alkalinity as CaCO3.
When denitrification occurs in the wastewater plant when they turn off the aeration about half of that alkalinity is returned as nitrogen gas escapes into the atmosphere.
By my calculations for every 14 mg of N applied as ammonia to a golf green, about .75 milliequivalents of bicarbonate are dissolved over the long run. The pH of greens is tough because are we talking pH of soil solution on day to day basis or pH of soil after drying in the lab.
I would be interested in your study on effect on pH by various nitrogen forms to compare.
Thanks Michael
22 Nov 2010 by Anthony Asquith Last edited 22 Nov 2010
Michael
I will drop you an email with my work, give me a couple of days to put something together for you.
I found a lot is down to the resultant OH- and NO3 taken up and with acidity the natural processes that occur and not so much down to the application of fertilizers and their effects on acidity but they can depending on what and how much is used.
AA
24 Nov 2010 by Michael Rogers
Anthony, here are formulae
The formulae are :
2 NH4+ + O2 = 2 NO2- + 2 H2O + 4 H+
Ammonia Oxygen Nitrite Water Strong Acid
Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter
2 NO2- + O2 = 2 NO3-
Nitrite Oxygen Nitrate
6NO3- + 5CH3OH 3N2 + 5CO2 + 7H2O + 6OH’
2 meq acid produced per meq N-NH4 oxidized
and 1 meq returning of OH per meq of N-NO3 denitrified
The idea is to convert NH4 to NO3 at rate needed for plant uptake ( spoon feeding ). As turf manager I don't want NO3 being volatilized as you do desire in an effluent treatment plant if the water is being discharged to river or sea to prevent nitrogen contamination.
Michael
24 Nov 2010 by TURFINATOR
They only want you to cut the grass.
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