Stand disease symptom identification key

Conditions

Disease

Cold, wet (32°-45° F)

Pink Snow Mold

Gray Snow Mold

Cold, wet (40°-60° F)

Yellow Tuft
Powdery Mildew
Necrotic Ring Spot

Melting-Out
Stripe Smut
Take-All Patch

Basal Rot Anthracnose
Rust

Warm, wet (60°-80° F)

Red Thread/Pink Patch

Dollar Spot

Leaf Spot

Hot, dry (70°-95° F)

Necrotic Ring Spot

Take-All Patch

Hot, wet (80°-95° F)

Anthracnose
Pythium Blight

Rhizoctonia Brown Patch

Summer Patch

Microscopic disease identification key

Adapted from the book The Microscope in Turfgrass Disease Diagnosis, with permission from the author, Pat Sanders, UW-Madison emeritus professor of turfgrass pathology.

If you have access to and basic knowledge of how to use a microscope, this key will help you identify the pathogen ailing your turf. The key has two parts: one using hyphae structures and the other using spores. You will need a little knowledge of these structures, so select the key that will best serve your needs and knowledge. If you can not determine your problem using these keys, please feel free to submit a sample to our lab.