Envu is set to feature distinguished plant pathologist professor Jim Kerns, Ph.D., in an exclusive educational webinar on turfgrass root disease management. The webinar, “Management of Root Diseases in Turfgrass: An Adventure in Timing and Placement,” will be moderated by Envu Green Solutions Team specialist Jesse Benelli, Ph.D., and will cover research on fungicide movement through the soil and discuss suggested best management practices to ensure fungicides reach the intended target.
The complementary webinar will take place May 8, 2025, from 11 a.m.-noon EST. Registration for the event can be found here.
“Professor Kerns and his team have worked closely with the Envu Green Solutions Team on root disease research for many years,” said Benelli. “What we know is early diagnosis is difficult as damage accumulates over time, and by the time symptoms appear, it may be too late for successful fungicide intervention. Additionally, fungicides are not easily mobile in soil, making it challenging to deliver the products to the pathogens’ location.”
With increasing costs around labor and resources, golf course superintendents should address pathogen populations early with simple, proactive steps to ease the burden of potential curative disease measures later in the season. Starting applications earlier in the season sets the stage for effective and efficient disease management all year, according to the company. The webinar will focus on recognizing root diseases, including take-all root rot, mini-ring, Pythium root rot and dysfunction, fairy ring and nematode feeding. Finally, the discussion will cover key strategies for managing fungal turfgrass diseases.
Kerns is a professor and extension specialist at North Carolina State University focusing on turfgrass pathology. He focuses on etiology, epidemiology and management of diseases of both warm- and cool-season grasses. His research program focuses on understanding the biology of ultradwarf Bermudagrass diseases, large patch of zoysiagrass, plant parasitic nematodes in turf and diseases of creeping bentgrass. The program’s mission is to provide efficacious and cost-effective management strategies to turfgrass managers in North Carolina and beyond. His program also houses the Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab, managed by Lee Butler.
