Lee Butler

14 years of creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass putting green sample submission data. Notice any trends??

Tall fescue lawns are weeping under this lovely hot/wet summer we are experiencing here in North Carolina. While disease pressure is present in some locations, some of the damage we have observed is also weather-related. More below: turfpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/07/gray-l…

Pythium root rot developing nicely at the farm. Second photo shows programs for bentgrass from 2023, 2013, and 2003. New program is rocking!

Golf course superintendents in the Carolinas are once again leading the way in economic and environmental sustainability, committing nearly $300,000 in grants for new turf research. Announced at Pinehurst Resort, these funds will support projects at Clemson and NC State to…

Registration is now open for our annual turfgrass field day, scheduled to take place in Raleigh, NC, at the Lake Wheeler Turfgrass Field Lab on August 13, 2025. turffiles.ncsu.edu/2025/07/2025-t…

After years of research, the verdict is in: There's no difference between #turfgrass wetting agents marketed as "penetrants" and "retainers" for sand-based putting greens. Read more about it at aaes.uada.edu/news/turfgrass…. @AginArk @ArkansasTurf @Doug_Karcher @uarkhort @USGA…

Super cool study we are conducting that was the brain child of @plkoch2 and @kurtaculous. Potassium bicarbonate suppressing dollar spot quite well. Well done gentleman on this work!

Putting greens struggling despite your heroic fungicide efforts? Might wanna train your setup folks how to detect black layer. Unless they are nose blind to rotten eggs, they’ll figure it out real quick. Sniff them cup cuts! 🤢

Many bermudagrass and zoysiagrass growers suffered winterkill this spring. We want to learn more about your situation. Please fill out this quick 5-minute winterkill survey to help us learn more about your situation. @HutchensWendell @TylerTalksTurf purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3j…

Nematode counts are not always the best indicator of nematicide efficacy on turf. Focus on root health and not nematode numbers to determine if a treatment works onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/it…

@KernsJim @TheTerriBee @turfbutler @TravisWGannon @NCExtension

The difference between a fungicide program developed in 2003 on the left and a program developed in 2023. The programs were for bentgrass and these were applied to bermudagrass and bentgrass. Yes modern fungicides have improved!

Does pH affect take-all root rot severity? YES. All the plots exhibiting TARR symptoms have a pH of 7.3 to 7.43. All other plots the pH is below 6. Not sure of the exact reason for this, so more to come!

March Madness isn't just for basketball; it's also prime time for preventive apps for diseases like fairy ring, Pythium root dysfunction, and sting nematodes. It's easier to score layups now to get ahead than waiting for the Hail Mary threes in a curative comeback scenario!

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 UW-Madison Turfgrass Apprenticeship Program that begins in November is now open! The class is capped at 22 students and we already had 5 enroll over the weekend! @djsoldat For more info: turf.wisc.edu/tap/ To enroll: charge.wisc.edu/plantpath/appr…

Side view of an ultradwarf bermudagrass putting green plug with take-all root rot. Notice the difference in color and density of stolons/rhizomes of the infected side (left) vs. healthy side (right). Perfectly collected sample. 👍

At last, the 2024 TDL review has come along. Let us know if you have any questions or comments. Enjoy! turfpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/02/2024-t…

Our lab will be closed next week 2/3-2/6 to attend the GCSAA Conference. Anything submitted will be diagnosed on Friday 2/7. See you all out there in San Diego! ☀️ 🌴

As always, the State Climate Office knocks it out of the park with NC weather data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Highly recommend for NC folks! youtu.be/R5iTgKjKBR4?si…

I had to create an activity for students this week when I guest lectured about turf diseases. I asked them to draw what they thought a turf disease would look like. Most were what you would expect, but this one took the prize. Fantastic imagination and what it often feels like.

I think it’s safe to say Rhizoctonia solani (large patch) is loving these conditions in Raleigh, NC on ‘Zeon’ zoysia!