VIEW ARTICLE

Disease Control and Pest Management

Biodegradation of Turf Thatch With Wood-Decay Fungi. S. B. Martin, Graduate assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701; J. L. Dale, professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701. Phytopathology 70:297-301. Accepted for publication 24 September 1979. Copyright 1980 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-70-297.

Thirteen wood-decay fungi were tested for ability to degrade turf thatch components. Four of these, Fomes fomentarius, Coriolus versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum, and Ganoderma applanatum grew on and substantially reduced the weight of bermudagrass pellets, and St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass stolons under laboratory conditions. Zoysia grass stolon decay occurred in an atmosphere saturated with water, but not at vapor pressure deficits of 7.59 or 15.17 mbar. Optimum temperatures for fungus growth on agar media were not correlated with thatch weight loss at corresponding temperatures. Weight losses of zoysia grass stolons exposed to the four test fungi at 24 and 32 C were not significantly different, indicating that temperature was not as critical as vapor pressure for stolon decay. Electron microscopy revealed that lignocellulose was degraded in zoysia grass stolons exposed to these fungi. The effectiveness of the fungi in reducing thatch in the field was examined, but under the test conditions employed there was no indication that thatch was degraded.