Stripe Smut affects which grasses in Michigan?

Stripe Smut affects which grasses in Michigan?

• A. Tall fescue and fine fescue
• B. Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass
• C. St. Augustine and Bermuda
• D. Zoysia and buffalo grass

Answer: (B)

Stripe smut is a fungal disease that preferentially affects certain cool-season turfgrasses. In Michigan, the grasses most commonly affected are Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass, which are widely grown there and are susceptible under the climate conditions found in that region. The disease creates distinct striped symptoms on the leaf blades and can reduce turf density when conditions favor infection. The other grasses listed are either warm-season types not typically grown in Michigan or, while some cool-season grasses exist, they are not the primary hosts for stripe smut in this area, making Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass the best fit for Michigan.

Stripe smut is a fungal disease that preferentially affects certain cool-season turfgrasses. In Michigan, the grasses most commonly affected are Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass, which are widely grown there and are susceptible under the climate conditions found in that region. The disease creates distinct striped symptoms on the leaf blades and can reduce turf density when conditions favor infection. The other grasses listed are either warm-season types not typically grown in Michigan or, while some cool-season grasses exist, they are not the primary hosts for stripe smut in this area, making Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass the best fit for Michigan.