The Disease Triangle - The Key To Managing Disease and Fungus
The Key feature - THE PATHOGEN
With no pathogen present, there will be no disease. Since the pathogen stays present in the soil the disease will repeat itself when conditions are ideal for development. Which is why you must learn the disease triangle.
-Environmental factors influence disease development in the landscape.
-When the environment favors the host plant, disease is not likely to occur.
-When environmental factors favor growth of the pathogen and infection of the host, disease is likely to occur.
-All three sides of the disease triangle must be present for disease to occur:
1.A susceptible host.
2.A pathogen that can cause disease.
3.An environment favorable for infection and disease development.
Cultural Control
Cultural control are factors that you are able to control. For example not installing grass in heavily shaded areas or keeping trees trimmed to allow light to penetrate. You can control the amount of water you apply seasonally to areas you know get disease issues year after year. The primary obstacle for many landscape maintenance companies when controlling disease is the lack of total control over the landscape starting with the installation, irrigation, mowing, and chemical treatments.
Contributing Factors Outside Our Control
1. The Pathogen - When the pathogen is in your soil is sits waiting to infect the host plant.
2. Weather - We can not control the weather. In some cases the weather can produce optimal conditions for disease development.
Fungicides
Fungicides applications are the last line of defense when it comes to managing turf fungus and disease.
When circumstances arise and fungus flares up you must remember turf fungus and disease is the exception to the rule.
Cultural Control efforts have failed its time to apply fungicide products. Depending on the local and immediate weather multiple applications may be needed. Fungicides are to limit the spread of the disease, these products are not a "1 and done" cure all.
Often irrigation is over looked and a summer watering schedule may continue into the winter which will accelerate fungus and disease flare ups.
Once you see the disease stop progressing applications of fungicide can stop. Then you must allow time for the diseased areas to recover. This often can take many months.