Fungicide, Preventative

The application of a fungicide in anticipation of disease outbreaks, and often used as an ‘insurance policy’ for (ideally) controlling potential attacks. However, this may not be an appropriate approach for some or many situations. If the optimal environmental conditions for a disease outbreak do not occur, then this can prove a costly and wasteful action.

If the grass species that are present in a sward are less susceptible to disease and are maintained in a strong, healthy and reduced stress situation then the need for a preventative fungicide is questionable in many cases. If, however, a prestigious tournament is soon to be hosted then taking maximum precautions with the application of a preventative fungicide can often be the most prudent action to take.

If a sward has significant quantities of annual meadow grass present, then the likelihood of disease outbreaks during a year will increase significantly. The use of a preventative fungicide may be more appropriate in these situations whilst transitioning to more desirable grass species takes place.

A grounds manager will need to devise a management programme that focuses on reducing undesirable and disease susceptible species and cultivars, rather than accepting the status quo of routine fungicide applications. This latter approach is not a sustainable approach within the concept of sustainability, although it could be sustained if financial resources were sufficient to allow it.