Slime Mold in the yard?

I have seen and had calls on slime mold in lawns this week. With the high humidity we have had this week it has helped create a good environment to host this. Slime mold will show up in patches on your turfgrass and look like black spots in the yard. They are pin-head sized fruiting bodies on the blades of grass and usually in a irregular circle. It will not kill your grass but rather weaken the health.

Symptoms:
Large numbers of pinhead-sized fruiting bodies may suddenly appear on grass blades and stems in circular to irregular patches 1-30 inches in diameter. Affected patches of grass do not normally die or turn yellow and signs of the fungi usually disappear within 1 to 2 weeks. These fungi normally reproduce in the same location each year. The fungi are not parasitic, but they may shade the individual grass leaves to the extent that leaves may be weakened by inefficient photosynthesis.

Conditions Favoring Disease:
Slime molds are favored by cool temperatures and continuous high humidity. An abundance of thatch favors slime molds by providing food directly in the form of organic matter.

Management Tips:
# Remove slime mold by mowing.
# Remove using gardening tool or high pressure stream of water.

For more info visit University of Georgia Thomas County Extension Office or our website.
-R.J.

Tree Workshop - Friday, April 17th

Thomas County Extension will be conducting an Urban Tree Workshop.

Come learn and participate in the Urban Tree Workshop at the Remington EMS on Friday, April, 17th starting at 8:30 AM. We will discuss tree pruning, health, identification, and selection. Hands-on exercises include proper pruning techniques and tree identification. Participants will also receive tree books and related materials. This class is meant to teach you how to prune properly, identify tree health issues, how to identify common trees in our region, and tree selection. Bring your pruners to practice your pruning!

This program is open to all interested. The cost is $25 which includes lunch, books, and materials. Category 24 and Private Pesticide credits will be given. Visit our website for more information – http://www.thomascountyexention.com/

Space is limited, so please pay by Wednesday, April 15th. Register by contacting the office at 229.225.4130 or email us at uge4275@uga.edu with the subject – Urban Tree Workshop. The office is located at 227 West Jefferson Street, across from the Thomas County Public library. For more information please contact R.J. Byrne.

Rust on Blueberries

Dr. Phil Brannen has found a small amount of rust on some blueberries. Read below for his comments.

Within the last few days, we have found at least one significant blueberry rust site in south Georgia. You might want to encourage your producers to scout for this disease at this time. The rust spores can be easily observed in spots on the underside of leaves, but in the early stages, the same spots on the upper leaf surface might possibly be confused with Septoria leaf spot or chemical damage. I have never personally observed rust this early in the season (normally found in late July or August), and this disease can defoliate plants, resulting in subsequent yield losses in the following year. Fungicides which are active against rust include chlorothalonil products (Bravo), DMI products (Indar, Orbit, Tilt), and strobilurin-containing products (Cabrio and Pristine); encourage producers to apply these according to the label, and rotation between classes of chemistry will help to prevent resistance development.

For more info on blueberry dieseases, check out UGA's publication here.

2008 Wheat Disease Update, April, SouthWest Georgia

Wheat diseases are here. If you have not scouted your fields lately, check out the publication below for more info on wheat disease and what action you need to take.

Don and I scouted some fields last week and noticed a few spots with some minor disease pressure. Spraying ahead of the game allows you maximize your yields.

If using fungicides, make sure you use enough water to ensure good coverage. 20-30 gal/acre for ground applications, and 5-7 gal/acre for aerial.

Wheat Production Guide
UGA Wheat Disease Info (scroll down to wheat)
Intensive Wheat Management in Georgia

Here is a video of us scouting a field last week.