TourTurf® research is ongoing to find product combinations to improve turf resiliency and recovery from Fusarium, causing Microdochium Patch.
The results from the winter 23/24 TourTurf® STA, FDC & TAG turf quality trial at Oregon State University conducted by Brian McDonald, Senior Research Assistant, and Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D., Professor are remarkable and show the potential those fertilisers have to strengthen turf resiliency while facing Fusarium (Microdochium Patch), the most detrimental turf pathogen for cool-season grass in Northern Europe. The results of this trial with four replications are highly statistically significant (ANOVA (applied @P=0.5)).
The objective of this trial was to evaluate applications of TourTurf® STA, TourTurf® FDC + Triacontanol (without the combination with the phosphite product TourTurf® HPK, being included the prior two years, since it's no longer sold within the EU) and TourTurf® TAG applied alone and together for their effects on turfgrass quality of a Poa annua putting green. STA and FDC were applied monthly, November through April. TAG was applied only in November and January.
All TourTurf® products in this trial are CE marked and follow the EU fertiliser regulation (e.g., contain no phosphites). The formulation of TourTurf® FDC contains Triacontanol (to promote faster turf recovery).
A heavy fungicide rotation, which is standard US practice, was included in the trial as a comparison. Two treatments with phosphites commonly used in the US at different rates are included in this trial to demonstrate the comparative effectiveness of TourTurf® products. This trial has been conducted comparing heavy fungicide rotations, the standard in US practice (see Appendix). In contrast, in Europe, the fungicide regulations are much stricter. As an example, in Denmark, only 3 fungicide applications with two actives are possible per year.
Plots treated with TourTurf® STA alone provided better turf quality and lower percent disease cover ratings than either FDC or TAG, or the combination of FDC + TAG. (The highest % disease cover ratings on these plots over the course of the trial were 6.1 percent on 19th April.)
Plots treated with TourTurf® STA & TourTurf® FDC resulted in the best turf quality and resulted in the lowest percent disease cover ratings; disease symptoms were reduced by 95% at the peak of disease. The highest percent disease cover on these plots over the course of the trial was 2.5 percent on April 19th.
Plots treated with TourTurf® FDC alone reduced percent disease cover symptoms by 43.7% on 5th April, the peak of disease, but the plots averaged 24% disease cover on this date.
Plots treated with TourTurf® TAG performed almost identically to plots treated with TourTurf® FDC even though only two applications were made (Nov & Jan). TourTurf® TAG applications did not improve quality when added to STA or the combination of STA + FDC.
However, TourTurf® TAG did improve turf resiliency and plot quality when added to TourTurf® FDC. Plots treated with TourTurf® FDC & TourTurf® TAG only had 9.5% disease cover on 5th April, compared with 24% for plots treated with TourTurf® FDC.
Applying TourTurf® STA biweekly during times of heavy disease pressure may help improve turf resiliency.
TourTurf® FDC Autumn Foliar Defence Concept provides excellent recovery from disease symptoms. This can explain the good result of the combination of STA and FDC.
Alec Kowalewski draws the conclusion: “...the best treatment in the trial was the combination of STA and FDC. This combination provided excellent to good turf quality...”.
Click here to read the full report.
Visual Plot Quality
NDVI
| Trt. # | Treatment | # app. | Rate/ha | Application Interval |
| 1 | Untreated | n/a | n/a | |
| 2 | Fungicide Rotation | 6 | (see below) | Monthly |
| 3 | STA | 6 | 40L | Monthly |
| 4 | FDC | 6 | 40L | Monthly |
| 5 | TAG | 2 | 350kg | Nov+Jan |
| 6 | STA + FDC | 6 | 40L + 20L | Monthly |
| 7 | STA + TAG | 6 + 2 | 40L+ 350kg | Monthly+Nov+Jan |
| 8 | FDC + TAG | 6 + 2 | 40L + 350kg | Monthly+Nov+Jan |
| 9 | STA + FDC + TAG | 6 + 2 | 40L + 20L + 350kg | Monthly+Nov+Jan |
| 10 | K Phos Phyte | 6 | 12.7L | Monthly |
| 11 | K Phos Phyte | 6 | 19L | Monthly |
| Treatments: | 11 |
| Plot size: | 1,4 m² (1,22 m × 1,22 m) |
| Replication no: | 4 (in Randomised Block Design) |
| Statistics: | ANOVA (applied @ P=0.05) |
| Applications: |
STA & FDC - Monthly; Nov23 - Apr24 TAG - Twice; Nov23 & Jan24 |
| Application dates: | 29 Nov´23, 26 Dec´23, 25 Jan´24, 22 Feb´24, 19 Mar´24 & 19 Apr´24 |
| Assessments: |
1) Visual plot quality (x11) 2) NDVI x100 (x8) 3) Colour of uninfected Turf (x8) 4) Dark Green Colour (x3) 5) Infection Center Counts (x7) 6) % Disease Cover (x11) |
| Assessment frequency: |
Quality, colour & disease; every 2 weeks, from 8th Dec´23 - 27th Feb´24 NDVI; 9 readings/plot, every 2 weeks Dark green colour & % disease cover; used light box photos, analysed using Sigma Scan Pro software for green cover, with the inverse being % disease. |
| Trial site details: (2009 constructed) |
Poa annua putting green 12" USGA spec sand over silt clay loam soil Flat drainage pipes between sand & soil 12.7 mm hollow cored Sept´23 & USGA spec sand |
| Trial site maintenance: |
Mowed weekly to height 3.6 mm Jacobsen Eclipse Triplex greens mower |
| Disease suppression - PRIOR TO TRIAL: |
2nd Sept´23; Strobe Pro (propiconazole + azoxystrobin) at 9.54 L/ha & Flex-Guard (fluazinam) 1.59 L/ha 3rd Nov´23; Flex-Guard (fluazinam) 1.59 L/ha |
| Yellow Patch suppression - during trial: | 10th Feb & 10th April´24; Pedigree SC (flutolanil) fungicide applied at 7.0 L/ha - has no Microdochium Patch activity. Applied for yellow patch suppression. |
| Fertiliser applications: |
23rd Feb´24; 19.5 kg N/ha (methylene urea, urea & nitrate + micronutrients) 25th Mar´24; 12.2 kg N/ha (28-5-18 + micronutrients) 10th Apr´24; 12.2 kg N/ha (potassium nitrate & ammonium sulfate) 10th May´24; 12.2 kg N/ha (ammonium sulfate & 8-0-24) |
| Plant Growth Regulator: | 10th Feb, 8th Mar, 10th Apr & 11th May24; Proxy PGR (ethephon) - to suppress Poa annua seed heads, applied at a rate of 16.2 L/ha. |
| Application methods: |
Liquid applications used CO2 pressurized backpack sprayer with a 4-nozzle boom TeeJet 80015 flat fan nozzles applying 830 L/ha spray volume at 2.4 Bars (35 psi) TourTurf TAG application was applied with a shaker can, then delayed mowing the green 4–5 days after application so TAG particles dissolved. |
