Examination of Potential Sources of Dollar Spot Resistance In Creeping Bentgrass.

One of the most persistant diseases that many managers of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) face is dollar spot disease (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett).  While many studies have examined both chemical and non-chemical methods to control this disease, no study to date has found the exact mechanism of resistance to this disease.  Currently, cultivars of creeping bentgrass are available that are more disease resistant than others but none have been released yet that are completely resistant to the disease.  Various extraction experiments are being performed in an attempt to identify any possible compounds that may be contributing to improved disease resistance in cultivars such as'L-93'.  Finding the mechanism(s) of dollar spot resistance would assist breeders in working towards producing more dollar spot resistance cultivars in the future.