Flagstick ‐ the Money Saving Creeping Bentgrass
Dollar Spot Resistance Genetics + Management for Superior Turf at Reduced Cost
Flagstick Creeping bentgrass (SRP-1WM) was developed by Seed Research of Oregon with Michigan State University for improved resistance to dollar spot combined with improved turf quality. This is a versatile variety that was included in the 2008 Bentgrass Fairway Trial due to its potential to reduce fairway diseases and overall inputs. Using superior genetics, management strategies and models can significantly reduce your fungicide applications and save money. Flagstick has shown this superior performance in Fairway and Putting Green trials. Additional trials using management strategies have shown the benefits of combining management with genetic resistance to reduce inputs.
Flagstick superior dollar spot reistance combined with irrigation everyday at 80% ET shows reduction in dollar spot (Michigan State Trial, Dykema, N., J. Vargas, Jr, W. Kirk, K. Frank)
Another trial looked at utilizing genetic resistance from Flagstick, rolling and reduced rate fungicides for higher quality with reduced inputs. Flagstick with only rolling had reduced dollar spot and with fungicides, even at reduced rates, high quality (2018, Vargas,J., N. Dykema, A. Palmatier & R. Bearss)
Additional tools from research may help in the battle against dollar spot with reduced inputs. The Smith-Kerns model for dollar spot may enable superintendents to anticipate environments conducive for dollar spot and scout for breakthroughs rather than applying fungicides on a calendar basis. Hempfling et al (2017) using this model or the GDD model of Ryan et al (2012) followed by threshold based timing on highly resistant turfgrass cultivars could significantly reduce the number of fungicides applications in New Jersey compared to calendar based timings or a susceptible cultivar Murphy et al, 2016 GCSAA Nov.Research Update)The use of ferrous sulfate has been shown to suppress dollar spot and may be an important part of BMP for dollar spot in creeping bentgrass (McCall et al, 2016 Crop Sci 57:581-586).
