Stripe Smut . Affected leaves turn yellow or sometimes directly become a dried, tan color. Affected leaves become shredded along these smut sori. The mild weather during much of last fall and early winter coupled with a cool spring have favored disease development. Variety and Species Selection .
Varietal susceptibility is by far the major factor determining the severity of either disease.
The number one control measure for both diseases is to renovate lawns to a resistant variety or species, if practical. Renovating to tall fescue eliminates both potential disease problems, as well as a host of other problems. Alternatively, if one wishes to stay with Kentucky bluegrass, use a variety that has performed well in UK variety trials, such as Midnight, Eclipse, Glade, Aspen, Indigo, and others. High fertility favors infection by the fungi that cause leaf spot, so heavy fertilization during the spring may enhance the disease. That is the question.