Common Name: fairy ring
Scientific Name: Basidiomycetes
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The symptoms of fairy ring appear in patches, rings, or arcs that are initially 1 foot or less in diameter, but expand in size year after year, reaching up to several hundred feet in diameter in old turf stands. Most fairy ring fungi do not infect or parasitize the turf. Instead, growth of these fungi in the soil can indirectly affect, or even kill, the turfgrass above. Three types of fairy ring symptoms are observed in turfgrasses: Type I, Type II, and Type III. A Type I fairy ring causes the soil and thatch to become hydrophobic, killing the turf in patches, rings, or arcs. In areas affected by a Type I fairy ring, the thatch and soil are extremely dry and repel water. Type II fairy rings appear as rings or arcs of turf that are dark green and growing more quickly than the surrounding turf. In a Type III fairy ring, mushrooms or puffballs are produced in a ring or arc. The type of symptom expressed by a fairy ring may change during the year according to weather conditions. Type III fairy ring symptoms are more prevalent during extended periods of wet weather. Type I and Type II fairy ring symptoms are most common during hot, dry weather in the summer. |