ABSTRACT
Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides [Munro] Hack.) is a popular turfgrass in the southeastern United States. It is desirable as a low-maintenance turf, but can be prone to diseases if nitrogen fertility is improperly managed. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate centipedegrass cultivars for differences in expression of dollar spot and centipede decline as affected by differences in nitrogen fertility levels. In a split-split plot arrangement, four cultivars were main plots, two nitrogen fertility levels were subplots, and differential disease treatments were sub-subplots. Disease treatments in 1994 and 1995 were either untreated or inoculation with Sclerotinia homeocarpa F.T. Bennett. High nitrogen fertility treatment coupled with drought stress predisposed turf to a Curvularia blight (caused by Curvularia lunatus Nelson & Haasis) in 1993, and decline symptoms in 1995. Under the high nitrogen regime, turf density of cultivars TC 177 and TC 178 was better in 1994 prior to the onset of decline symptoms, while TC 312 and Common had comparatively denser turf after the onset of decline in 1995. Inoculation with S. homeocarpa had little effect on turf density in 1994 and no effect in 1995. S. homeocarpa was isolated more frequently from Common than from the other cultivars in 1995 but isolation frequency was not associated with decline symptoms when assessed either within cultivar or nitrogen fertility level.