ABSTRACT. Brown patch caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IB occurred on Kentucky bluegrass during late May through early October 2010 at golf course in Gyeongbuk Province, Korea. Disease symptoms on the turfgrass for spring season were leaf blights dying from the leaf tip, which appeared patches of brown color in the field. However, it appeared patches of dark brown color or gray brown color in fall. The fungus (B-7 isolate) of brown patch was isolated from the diseased leaf tissue and cultured on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) for identification. The young hyphae had acute angular branching and few septa and mature hyphal branches showed about 90-degree angles and development of monilioid cells, which were morphologically identical to Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IB reported previously. DNA sequences of ribosomal RNA gene (internal transcribed spacer) of the fungus were homologous with similarity of 99% to those of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IB isolates in GenBank database, confirming the identity of the causal agent of the disease. Pathogenicity of the fungus was also confirmed on the creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass by Koch's postulates. This is the first report of brown patch on Kentucky bluegrass caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IB in Korea.

Pythium blight occurred by Pythium aphanidermatum on chewing fescue cv. "Jamestowm II" from early June, 2010 and 2011 at the test field in Daegu University in Gyeongbuk Province, Korea. Disease symptoms on the turfgrass were leaf blights dying from the leaf tip and root rot, which appeared patches of brown to dark brown color or gray brown color in the field. The pathogens (40-1 isolate) of Pythium blight was isolated from the diseased leaf and crown tissue and cultured on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) for identification. Lobulate sporangia were inflated, complex structures, and filamentous sporangia were usually indistinguishable from vegetative hyphae. Sequences of ribosomal RNA gene of the fungus were homologous with similarity of 100% to those of P. aphanidermatum isolates in GenBank database. Pathogenicity was also confirmed on the chewing fescue, creeping betgrass and Kentucky bluegrass by Koch's postulates. This is the first report of Pythium blight on chewing fescue caused by P. aphanidermatum in Korea.

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