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May 18, 2015

Plant Plagues: The Rusts Diseases

In this article:

  • Impact & Biology
  • Symptoms & Case Example: White pine blister rust
  • Management

Where would we be without rusts? Rust diseases, to a plant pathologist, are anything but boring. In fact, this group of plant diseases contains some of the most destructive pathogens of vascular plants. Throughout history, rust epidemics have caused famine and wrecked the economies of entire civilizations. Important food and fiber crops affected by rust diseases include bean and soybean, grains (barley, corn, oat, and wheat), asparagus, cotton, pine, apple, and coffee (coffee rust is particularly troublesome in Guatemala right now). Rust diseases also affect a wide variety of ornamentals – landscape plants, greenhouse and nursery crops, Christmas trees – you name it. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf
May 8, 2015

Take(-all) it to the Limit

A sample diagnosed with take-all patch of creeping bentgrass was the highlight of the turfgrass submissions to the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory this week. This sample marks the first in the seasonal transition on golf courses from diseases common to late-winter and early-spring (snow molds/yellow patch) to the late-spring and early-summer problems (take-all/brown ring patch). Yes, it was an exciting day for the turfgrass pathologist!

Take all disease on plug of L-93 creeping bentgrass. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Take-all patch on a plug of ‘L-93’ creeping bentgrass. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

 

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Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Turf Tagged With:
May 5, 2015

Kyllinga Awakens as Soil Temps Increase

Daily high soil temperatures at the 2-inch depth are consistently getting into the 60s°F. Yesterday, temperatures in sunny locations reached into the upper 60s. This means that the warm-season species are, or will be soon waking from winter slumber.

Leaf tips emerging from rhizomes of kyllinga on 15 April 2015 in central New Jersey.

Leaf tips emerging from rhizomes of kyllinga on 15 April 2015 in central New Jersey.

Emerging shoots of kyllinga beginning the process of re-forming a "turf" canopy on 2 May 2015 in East Brunswick.

Emerging shoots of kyllinga beginning the process of re-forming a “turf” canopy on 2 May 2015 in East Brunswick.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Turf
April 27, 2015

Winter’s Continuing Legacy

Despite a winter we all want to forget, it never ends if you are a pathologist. Everywhere I look there is plant damage due to the extreme winter. Broad-leaved evergreens seemed to take it hard again this year, particularly some of the hybrid hollies. Frozen roots and heavy winds, along with the need to transpire on sunny winter days, left them in shambles. The injury was visible early and often.

Holly suffering from severe winter dessication. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Holly suffering from severe winter wind desiccation. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab Tagged With: ,
April 14, 2015

Gettin’ Over The Winter Blues

The Plant Diagnostic Laboratory is in recovery from SAD – not seasonal affective disorder – but sample affected disorder! Snow cover equals very few sample submissions, so with the exception of our talk show circuit, life in a plant diagnostic facility is pretty quiet in the winter. While it is certainly a pleasure to see everybody at the winter meetings, I would much rather sit in the lab looking at dead stuff than stand in front of everybody talking about it. Fortunately, as the weather improves from week to week, the samples are starting to roll in.

Sample submissions for April 14 in Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory

A modest start to the season. Sample submissions for April 14, 2015 in Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

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Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab Tagged With: ,
April 10, 2015

Looks Like Grass… But It Isn’t

Other than today and yesterday, soil temperatures in New Brunswick have been reaching into the lower 50s°F during the last week or so. And you see the effects, some plants are finally awakening from winter slumber. Cool-season turfgrasses are slowly greening up. Tree buds are swelling, some are flowering. Forsythia is just starting to bloom. And prostrate knotweed, one of the earliest germinating summer annual weeds, is emerging.

Some confuse the slender plants emerging along sidewalk edges at this time of year with grass but it is actually prostrate knotweed.

Some confuse the slender plants emerging along sidewalk edges at this time of year with grass but it is actually prostrate knotweed.


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Filed Under: Turf