• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2011

The susceptibility of cultivars of three bentgrass species (creeping, colonial, and velvet bentgrass) was evaluated on detached leaves assays with pink snow mold 9 isolates caused by Microdochum nivale in Petri dishes and whole plants under controlled conditions. The pink snow mold isolates obtained from infected turfgrasses on golf courses in Wisconsin were tested on response of fungicides and temperature. Detached leaf assay and susceptibility of bentgrass cultivars were evaluated with potted adult seeding during 80 days. Nine isolates were susceptible to two fungicides and were significantly different among isolates. Mycelial growth was varied in response of temperatures among isolates. There were significant differences in development and colonization of the fungus on detached leaf assay among bentgrass species include culvitars. There were significant differences on whole plants in disease severities among the three bentgrass species, particularly between tetraploids (creeping and colonial) and diploid (velvet) species, and among cultivars within each species, indicating that there are varying levels of susceptibility in species and cultivars to M. nivale. This study could be applied to evaluate the susceptibility of bentgrass to pink snow mold and also to predict a prospective evaluation of bentgrass cultivars to pink snow mold in fields in a breeding program.