By Lane Tredway, Ph.D., technical services manager for Syngenta and Travis Roberson, Ph.D., technical services field manager for Syngenta Digital Platforms  

Guaranteed preventive control  | Spiio and soil temperature alerts | Curative control 

The traditional approach to fairy ring control was to wait for symptoms to appear and then make a curative fungicide application tank mixed with a soil surfactant. The problem is most research trials show curative fungicides to be ineffective on fairy ring. Once symptoms appear, the pathogen has already changed the soil’s chemical or physical properties. To cure fairy ring symptoms, soil conditions must be brought back to normal with cultivation, soil surfactants and irrigation. Preventive fungicide applications before fairy ring symptoms appear have proven to be a much more effective management strategy.

One of the proven guarantee programs from Syngenta, the GreenTrust^® 365 Preventive Fairy Ring Guarantee, provides an effective solution for preventing this turfgrass disease. Features of the program include:

• Prevents fairy ring in creeping bentgrass, bermudagrass and seashore paspalum putting greens in the southern U.S., transition zone and Hawaii 
• Incorporates products such as Velista^®, Briskway^® and Posterity^® XT fungicides
• Controls not only fairy ring, but also other important diseases such as summer patch, take-all patch and mini ring

 

Applications should be initiated in the spring when soil temperatures reach 60°F (70°F in Florida) and repeated on a 28-day interval as directed by the program. When making applications, keep in mind:

• All applications targeting fairy ring should be watered in immediately after application
• Tank mixing with a soil surfactant is not necessary unless fairy ring symptoms are already evident at the time of application

 
Monitoring soil temperatures is crucial to initiate a fairy ring program at the optimal time. Online resources from Syngenta, such as Soil Temperature Maps, can help you stay ahead of fairy ring and other important pests. You can also sign up to receive an automated alert when soil temperatures become favorable for fairy ring in your area.  

For even greater precision, Spiio™ soil sensors are wireless sensors that measure temperature, moisture and salinity on an hourly basis. This makes them a useful tool to enhance fairy ring application timing in addition to many other agronomic practices. The data collected by Spiio soil sensors is connected to GreenCast^® Connect, the mobile and desktop platform that provides users with 24/7 access to data and tailored alerts based on their property’s in-ground soil data.  

Curative fairy ring control measures

For existing fairy ring symptoms, cultural practices such as wetting agent application, cultivation and heavy irrigation are often necessary to correct the changes in soil properties brought about by fairy ring fungi. Curative fungicide applications can help stop further disease development and speed the healing process, but only when done in conjunction with these practices.

Velista and Briskway are top performers when it comes to these curative scenarios. The maximum label rate of Velista, 0.7 oz./1,000 ft.², performs best. Increased rates of Briskway, 0.9 to 1.2 fl. oz./1,000 ft.², are approved and have provided curative fairy ring activity similar to Velista. With either product, two applications on a 14-day interval, tank mixed with a soil surfactant and watered in immediately, are recommended. Velista and Briskway are available as part of a convenient Multipak, which provides 10% savings on these products. Learn more at GreenTrust365.com/Multipaks.