Biology and Integrated Management of Turfgrass Diseases

Cultivated turfgrass is an assemblage of mown, perennial grasses or prostrate-growing forb plants and a suite of microbes all competing with each other in a common environment. This book approaches turfgrass diseases from an ecological perspective and explains with examples how wild plants and microbes have co-evolved. It addresses the identification, biology and integrated management of both common turfgrass diseases and newly emergent diseases. It includes the common and lesser-known turfgrass species, their surrounding environment and the range of beneficial and pathogenic microbes which in combination explain why disease occurs. For disease identification purposes, fungal diseases are arranged according to their predominantly cool season and warm season occurrence. Turfgrass bacterial and viral diseases, and plant parasitic nematodes are also covered. Written by a team of international authors, it combines technical expertise and practical experience. Essential for anyone involved in managing turfgrass, this book provides the know-how to identify the early warning signs of diseases, in order to manipulate the environment and minimise the damage.

Gary is semi-retired but is actively involved in the Australian turfgrass industry. Gary has college qualifications in turfgrass management, horticulture and teaching and has held several positions since the 1970s. Gary was employed as Senior Turfgrass Consultant at the Australian Turfgrass Research Institute (ATRI), Sydney (New South Wales (NSW), Australia) and was awarded an NSW Churchill Fellowship investigating turfgrass courses and research in the USA. Gary has written many extension-based articles and is a member of the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA). Gary has spoken at regional, state, national and international turfgrass conferences throughout Australia and in the USA, New Zealand, Singapore and Scotland. Gary and Jyri (with Dr A. Manners) co-authored Pest Management of Turfgrass for Sport and Recreation (CSIRO Publishing, 2016). Gary has a long association with Dr Percy Wong (Australia) and is currently cooperating in the investigation of the biological causes of new-encounter turfgrass diseases in Australia.<br /><br />Dr Walker is a Professor, Turfgrass Integrated Pest Management/Turfgrass Pathology at Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA). Dr Walker obtained his Bachelor's degree in Environmental Planning (1993) from Bloomsburg University (Pennsylvania), his Master's degree in Plant Pathology (1996) from Clemson University (South Carolina) and his Doctorate in Plant Science (1999) from the University of Arkansas (Arkansas USA). Dr Walker joined the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University in 1999. Key professional responsibilities are Turfgrass IPM/Turfgrass Pathology and his appointment is 78% research, 13% teaching (undergraduate Turfgrass IPM, Graduate IPM, Pesticide Applications and Plant Nematology), and 9% Extension. Among his memberships are The International Turfgrass Society (ITS), European Turfgrass Society (ETS) and the Oklahoma Turfgrass Research Foundation. He is currently the Editor of International turfgrass, the newsletter of The International Turfgrass Society. Dr Walker's research specialization is the identification, biology and integrated management of soil- borne pathogens and diseases of turfgrasses in the United States and elsewhere. Dr Walker has written a book chapter, numerous peer-reviewed papers and non-peered extension articles regarding turfgrass diseases and their ecology and management. He is also the Director of the OSU Turfgrass Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.<br /><br />Dr P.T.W. Wong is an Honorary Associate of the University of Sydney (Camden Campus), NSW, Australia. He is an eminent plant pathologist and mycologist specializing in soil-borne fungal pathogens. Dr Wong obtained his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Hons) degree and his Doctorate in Plant Pathology from the University of Sydney. He was employed by the NSW Department of Agriculture (1972-2006) as Principal Research Scientist and worked on the etiology, biology and management (especially biological control) of several diseases of field crops and pastures. During 1980-1981, he was Visiting Professor at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Colorado, USA) and the first person to identify the soil-borne pathogen Gaeumannomyces avenae from turfgrass in Colorado. Dr Wong has been an Honorary Associate (University of Sydney) for many years and Adjunct Associate Professor (University of Western Sydney). He is a Fellow of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society and a member of the Australasian Mycological Society, the American Phytopathological Society (APS) and the International Turfgrass Society (ITS). Dr Wong's interest in turfgrass diseases began in the 1980s; he has spoken at numerous national and international conferences, co-authored one book and written numerous peer-reviewed papers and non-peered extension articles regarding plant pathogens and diseases in national and international journals.<br /><br />Jyri Kaapro is Senior Market Development Specialist for Envu (Australia/New Zealand). Jyri obtained his Bachelor of Natural Resource Management at the University of New England (Armidale, NSW, Australia), a Graduate Diploma in Agriculture at Charles Sturt University (Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia) and a Master of Agriculture, Turf Management at the University of Sydney (NSW, Australia). Jyri has been involved in the Australian turfgrass industry since the 1990s and was employed at the Australian Turfgrass Research Institute (ATRI), Sydney as Research Manager. Jyri is a member of the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) and the International Turfgrass Society (ITS). Jyri has attended and presented at numerous local, state and national seminars and conferences, and has attended international conferences of the ITS. He has written numerous extension-based papers in journals associated with the Australian turfgrass industry. Jyri and Gary (with Dr A. Manners) co-authored Pest Management of Turfgrass for Sport and Recreation (CSIRO Publishing, 2016).