Brown patch is a __________ disease.

Brown patch is a __________ disease.

• A. Summer disease
• B. Spring disease
• C. Winter disease
• D. Fall disease

Answer: (A)

Brown patch is most active under warm, humid conditions typical of summer. The fungus Rhizoctonia solani that causes it thrives when daytime temperatures are in the warm range and leaf wetness persists from dew or irrigation. That combination—heat plus moisture—drives rapid patch expansion in summer on cool-season grasses, which is why this disease is described as a summer disease. In cooler seasons, conditions aren’t as favorable for Brown patch, and the turf is either not growing as rapidly or is dormant, so the disease is less likely to develop. So the season most responsible for Brown patch is summer, making that the correct characterization.

Brown patch is most active under warm, humid conditions typical of summer. The fungus Rhizoctonia solani that causes it thrives when daytime temperatures are in the warm range and leaf wetness persists from dew or irrigation. That combination—heat plus moisture—drives rapid patch expansion in summer on cool-season grasses, which is why this disease is described as a summer disease. In cooler seasons, conditions aren’t as favorable for Brown patch, and the turf is either not growing as rapidly or is dormant, so the disease is less likely to develop. So the season most responsible for Brown patch is summer, making that the correct characterization.