Monitoring the Quality of Dutch Golf Greens

摘要

A A good deal of interest and misunderstandingsurrounds this disease, which appears to be agrowing problem particularly throughout the moresouthern half of the UK. Until four or five years ago STRI hadrarely encountered troublesome outbreaks of dollar spot andapart from occasional occurrences in the South West ofEngland it was not a major turf issue. Indeed, in ourpublication Turf grass Diseases and Associated Disorderspublished in 1998, dollar spot was described as "a damagingdisease of amenity turf but its occurrence in the UK isminimal and only on slender creeping red fescue." It wasalways somewhat mystifying that those continental channelcoast countries such as Belgium and Holland had majorproblems with this disease, but by and large, the UKescaped. No longer is this the case. There have beenincreasing reports of dollar spot activity, and in recent yearsat least two significant venues have had to spray for thecondition before hosting championships. The reasons forincreased activity are not fully known, but no doubt weatherand environmental conditions are hugely influential.Certainly, vigilance and knowledge of early symptoms is vitalif turf damage is to be minimised.