# Fungicide program



## Dfw_ozzy83 (May 16, 2020)

So last year I had a bad case of pythium blight in my zoysia. I am wondering if anyone has had this issue before? I'm looking at trying to take some preventative action this year. 
Any idea of where I should be starting? 
Thanks


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

Are you sure it was pythium? Zoysia is susceptible to a host of diseases, and pythium is expensive to confront so you just want to be sure before going down this road.

The gold standard curative fungicide for pythium is Segway. If you get an outbreak you can spray that and stop pythium right in its tracks. The only problem is that Segway is ONLY good for pythium diseases.

There are lots of options for preventative applications, but I would steer clear of DMIs like Banner Maxx (propiconazole) because they have serious growth regulating effects. Unlike Primo, DMIs stop the whole plant including the roots.

The cheapest option is to apply foliar phosphites (not phosphates) before a period of high disease pressure. This can help strengthen the plant and prevent a pythium outbreak. As far as I know phosphites work well for pythium but not much else.

As far as traditional preventatives, Banol (propamocarb) is great but expensive. Same with Subdue Maxx (mefenoxam). If I remember correctly, these are good preventives and they can also be used as a curative at a higher rate. Lexicon is a fantastic broadly spectrum fungicide that will offer long-lasting protection against almost anything you can think of, but again it's expensive.

As with any turf disease, you can't pick one fungicide and spray it all the time, you need to rotate through different modes of action to prevent resistance. If it were me, I'd find a good phosphite package to spray preventatively because you can get a jug for under $100. I'd then probably grab some Segway and Subdue Maxx (the generics if available) to rotate curatively.


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## Dfw_ozzy83 (May 16, 2020)

CarolinaCuttin said:


> Are you sure it was pythium? Zoysia is susceptible to a host of diseases, and pythium is expensive to confront so you just want to be sure before going down this road.
> 
> The gold standard curative fungicide for pythium is Segway. If you get an outbreak you can spray that and stop pythium right in its tracks. The only problem is that Segway is ONLY good for pythium diseases.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the informative reply!!
So last year I had Subdude max, propiconazole and 3336F in rotation but it was to late by the time I put it down.. it definitely slowed the spreading but would keep popping up in other random spots.. the only thing I could think of was i was carrying it from place to place via my shoes..

So you think it's ok to put down subdue as a preventive? Would love to get ahead of the curb this year.


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

@Dfw_ozzy83 Per the label, Subdue Maxx can only be applied twice per year if it is the only fungicide in the tank, and they recommend propiconazole as a tank mix, just keep in mind that this will stop the turf from growing and must be applied accurately.

I would seriously consider the phosphites, they do a great job and won't kill your budget even if you apply them all through the growing season. Phosphites are not a fungicide (so no worries about resistance) but they really bolster plant defense against pythium. Here is a good product, get something like this:

https://www.seedworldusa.com/products/turf-fuel-phite-liquid-potassium-phosphite-turf-fertilizer-2-5-gallons

Do you have a picture of this disease in your lawn by chance?


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