Evaluation of a Copper-Plated Roller for Dollar Spot Management

By Michael Fidanza, Ph.D., Professor of Plant and Soil Science

Dollar spot (Clarireedia jacksonii, formerly Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) is a major disease of golf course fairways in the Mid-Atlantic USA region. In addition to proper cultural practices and a responsible fungicide program, rolling the turf has a beneficial effect at reducing the incidence and severity of dollar spot. This field trial was conducted in 2018 on fairway-height ‘PennTrio’ creeping bentgrass at the Center for the Agricultural Sciences and a Sustainable Environment (Penn State Berks Campus, Reading, PA). The rootzone is 100% sand with pH 7.3 and 0.31% organic matter. Individual plot size was 3 × 5-ft and all plots were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Fungicides were applied every 21 days to attempt to “stretch” the application interval. Some plots received a rolling treatment from a new and unique, copper-plated metal roller measuring 4-in. diameter × 27-in. length and weighing 340 lbs. Dollar spot first appeared in early June.

Key Results:

• Plots that received only the rolling treatment had a noticeable reduction in dollar spot compared to untreated plots.

• Plots that received fungicides only at the lower label rate and extended 21-day interval, or those plots that received fungicides with the weekly rolling, also had a noticeable reduction in dollar spot compared to untreated plots.

Bert Brace testing the copper-plated roller.