Suppression of Brown Patch Disease of Creeping Bentgrass by Isolates of NonpathogenicRhizoctoniaspp.

Abstract

Turfgrass isolates of Rhizoctonia spp., with binucleate hyphal cells (BnR), were studied as potential antagonists of R. solani. In each of 3 field experiments, creeping bentgrass [Agrostis palustris] developed significantly less disease when inoculated with BnR 24 h before inoculation with R. solani than when inoculated with BnR 24 h before inoculation with R. solani than when inoculated with R. solani alone. Disease was not observed in plots inoculated with BnR alone. Significant differences in suppressive ability were observed among BnR isolates. BnR and R. solani were isolated from bentgrass leaves and grain inoculum that were removed from infested plots at the termination of each experiment. Disease was not suppressed in plots where an isolate of Epicoccum from turfgrass was substituted for BnR.