Controlling these factors in favor of the turf will enhance its natural disease resistance. Healthy, vigorous turf is able to sustain a greater amount of fungal infection without suffering adverse effects or plant death. For example, turf plants with deep, dense root systems can sustain a greater amount of root loss due to the activity of a root-infecting pathogen before aboveground symptoms appear. Turf plants with shallow root systems will decline rapidly when root infection occurs because the aboveground portions are not receiving adequate nutrients to support growth. Reduce Pathogen Growth Fungi are very sensitive to their environments because they have no skin or protective layer to shield them from external conditions.
Fungi are particularly sensitive to desiccation, pH, and the presence of toxic elements.
Manipulating these conditions to reduce pathogen growth can greatly reduce disease severity. Most soil microorganisms are not pathogenic to turf, in fact, many are actually beneficial. Encouraging the growth of these microorganisms can enhance turf health by reducing thatch buildup, increasing nutrient availability, or protecting the plants from pathogenic fungi. We are just beginning to understand how to encourage the growth of these beneficial microorganisms, and this understanding is the basis of biological disease control. Turf Health Soil pH influences the availability of several important plant nutrients, which may become toxic at extremely low pHs.