[Image: Golf coarse]It is the dream of every golf course manager, sod producer, landscape contractor and athletic field manager to have healthy, green turfgrass. Several factors can shatter this dream, and an important factor such as disease tops of the list. Every year the turfgrass industry spends thousands of dollars to manage diseases. An effective disease management requires an accurate disease diagnosis. Such a diagnosis should also include information on the type and timing of fungicides or cultural practices that can be used effectively against that pathogen. Ideally these practices are implemented during the early stages of disease development to achieve effective control. However, it may take a diagnostician a number of days to reach an accurate diagnosis and make recommendations. The longer the diagnosis time, the less effective the management strategy will be, especially when it comes to fungicide applications. Fungicides applied at later stages of disease development are not as effective as when they are applied at the first appearance of the disease. Treating for diseases that are already well-developed may increase the cost without solving the problem.
To solve this problem, the LSU AgCenter Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic in conjunction with the Department of Plant Pathology and Crop physiol[Image: Golf]ogy is offering a new “rapid turfgrass disease diagnosis” service to the turfgrass industry. This service includes a preliminary disease diagnosis and recommendations within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the sample followed by a complete diagnosis and additional best management practices. This service not only will focus on disease diagnosis but also will include insect pest and nematode diagnosis. The complete diagnostic report also will include measurements of the pH and EC (soluble salts) of the sample. The service is provided for a charge of $75 for in-state and $100 for out-of-state turfgrass samples. The service also includes limited diagnosis of abiotic factors based on visual observations only, such as herbicide, cold[Image: Green] or frost injury. The service does not include on-site visits, weed identification, plant nutritional analysis, soil analysis, pathogen detection from water sources or chemical residue analysis.
Please read the guidelines to collect and submit samples before submitting samples. Each sample should have a completely filled Turf Disease Sample Submission Form.