Occurrence and Pathogenicity of Pythium Species Isolated from Leaf Blight Symptoms of Turgrasses at Golf Courses in Korea

Eleven species of Pythium were isolated from leaf blight symptoms on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustirs Huds.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratenisis L.) and zoysiagrasses (Zoysia japonica Steud., and Z. matrella (L.) Merr.) planted on golf courses in Korea. Mycelial growth on potato carrot agar medium under various temperature conditions indicated that Pythium species obtained in this study could be divided into four groups based on their responses to temperature conditions. P. vanterpoolii was found to favor low temperature conditions with the optimum temperature of $25^{\circ}$, whereas P. aphanidermatum and P. myriotylum favored relatively high temperature conditions with the optimum temperature of $35^{\circ}$. Other species including P. arrhenomanes, P. catenulatum, P. graminicola, P. oligandrum, P. rostratum, P. torulosum, and P. ultimum were the intermediate group with the optimum temperature of 25~$35^{\circ}$. P. periplocum was similar to the intermediate group but the minimum temperature for its mycelial growth was $15^{\circ}$, which was approximately $5^{\circ}$ above that for the intermediate Pythium spp.group. In the pathogenicity tests conducted in the lab using potted plants, P. aphanidermatum, P.a arrhenomanes, P. catenulatum, P. graminicola, P. myriotylum, P. periplocum, P. rostratum, P. torulosum, P. ultimum, and P. vanterpoolii were found to be pathogenic to creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass. P. aphanidermatum, P. catenulatum, and P. graminicola were frequently isolated from leaf blight symptoms of creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass in golf courses during the warm and humid periods in July-August. On the other hand, P. vanterpoolii and P. torulosum were frequently isolated during the cool and humid periods in March-May, suggesting both species might be the major causes of leaf blight occurring in the spring time. Zoysiagrass was susceptible to P. arrhenomanes and the heterothallic Pythium sp. (Ht-F), showing stem and crown rot of turf-grasses at poorly drained areas under coool and humid or rainy conditions. P. oligandrum and the heterothallic Pythium sp. (Ht-L) isolated from creeping bentgrass were avirulent to all species of turfgrasses tested in this study.