Fairy Rings Flashcards
Why is the grass inside the fairy ring usually darker green in color?
When the Fungi breaks down O.M…..it relaeses Amonia (Nitrogen) and the plant uses it and turns darker green.
Fairy Ring Fungi are all:
Saprophytes
Fairy Ring
Cause:
Basidiomycota
Fairy Ring
Host:
All turf areas, forested areas, pretty much anywhere
Fairy Ring
Symptoms:
- dead or decaying turf in a circular or arc shape
- faster growing, dark green turf in a circular or arc shape
- Rings Do Not overlap
Fairy Ring
Signs:
- LBM’s, Puff Balls etc.
- Mycelial Mat in the soil that is usually hydrophoic
- (causes plants to die from drought stress)
- Clamp Connections can be present on hyphae
Fairy Ring
Type 1
- Most Severe - kills or badly damages turf
- Produces higher concentrations of hydrogen cyanide than the other types (= dead turf)
- Fruiting bodies may form
Fairy Ring
Type 2
- Overstimulates turf - Tall, dark green turf
- lower concentrations of hydrogen cyanide than type 1.
- Fruiting bodies may form
Fairy Ring
Type 3
- No impact on the turf
- simple ring of fruiting bodies
Fairy Ring has mycelial mats that can be hydrophobic….What is their significance?
- They can be 3 feet deep, if you are going to try to dig them up…good luck
- becuase they hate water, the turf growing above it can die of drought stress
What is an Edaphic Fairy Ring?
- It has a mycelial mat that can be up to 3 feet deep into the soil.
- Typically found in landscape turf and pastures
What is a Lectophilic fairy ring?
- A term to describe a fairy ring that is on sand based putting greens where most of the mycelium is up in the thatch layer.
What is the Figitive Phenomenon?
- Where mushrooms come and go unexpectadly
What are the most important, most effective management tactics for control fairy ring?
- Mask the damage by applying N or Iron
- Aerify the area and aply a wetting agent that gets down to the root zone to prevent death caused by drought stress.
Management tactics for Fairy Ring:
- Mask damange by applying N or Iron
- Rake up fruiting bodies
- attempt to eradicate by digging up mycelial mats
- fumigations with Methyl Bromide
- Prevent death (caused by drought stress) by aerification and applicationg of a wetting agent that will get into the root zone.
Fairy RIng
Predisposing Factors
- Wide range of temperatures
- Low Soil Moisture
- Low Fertility
- High sand content soils
- Heat & Drought stress
- Management stress
Fairy Ring
Fertility Management:
- Balanced Fertility Program
- Soil Test
- Use Nitrogen or Iron to mask symptoms
- add 1/2 - 2lbs / 1000
Fairy Ring
Chemical Control:
- Wetting Agent mixed with:
- Azoxystrobin
- Pyraclostrobin
- Flutolonil
Explain how the fungi uses chemical weapons to attack the turf and what the side effects are…
- The fungi that form fairy rings produce Hydrogen Cyanide. Type 1 produces the most and that’s why it’s the most destructive. Type 2 produces less and so does Type 3.
- When hydrogen cyanide is released in higher concentrations (type 1) it will kill the grass….Now they have something to eat…(this is why they are called Saprophytes)…As they breakdown the O.M. for food, they release Amonia (nitrogen). If it releases amonia fast, it kills the grass, If it releases it slow, it overstimulates the grass and makes it grow more and turn darker green.
- It has a mycelial mat that can be up to 3 feet deep into the soil.
- Typically found in landscape turf and pastures
What is an Edaphic Fairy Ring?
- A term to describe a fairy ring that is on sand based putting greens where most of the mycelium is up in the thatch layer.
What is a Lectophilic fairy ring?
- Where mushrooms come and go unexpectadly
What is the Figitive Phenomenon?
