Seedling Damping Off

All turf species at seedling stage

• Damping Off appears as blighted seedlings.
• Individual seedlings are stunted with water soaked leaves.
• Seedlings collapse and die, causing circular or irregular patches.
• Patches are water-soaked and dark-coloured early in the morning, they may appear slimy.
• In the morning on dew covered grass white masses of fungal mycelium (cottony blight) may appear.
• Infected leaves become light brown and shriveled when dry.
• Dead turf may mat together like paper-maché and can coalesce to form a crust over the surface of the soil.

• Damping Off outbreaks favour high temperatures and humidity.
• Warm nights (over 20°C) and hot days (over 30°C) and high humidity (over 90%) combined with wet weather.
• More than 10 hours a day of foliar wetness for several consecutive days.
• Dense seeding preventing moisture escape from the soil.
• Highly fertilised turf (excess nitrogen) is more susceptible.

• Avoid mowing wet turf when the temperature is over 21°C to minimize spreading the disease.
• Seed at a sufficiently low rate to create a seedling stand which will allow moisture to escape.
• Sow seed with optimum germination and establishment conditions for that turf species.
• Pre-germinate seed before sowing.
• Supply adequate phosphorus and potassium for seedling development.
• Increase air circulation to speed the drying process of the turf.
• Minimise the amount of shade.
• Irrigate turf early in the day, avoid late-day watering.
• Improve the drainage of the turf.
• Irrigate turf deeply and as infrequently as possible.

There are many species of Pythium known to cause damage to turfgrass and symptoms are equally diverse.