Field Resistance of Festuca Rubra Varieties to Red Thread (Laetisaria Fuciformis)

To assess the extent of progress in breeding for resistance to some typical turfgrass diseases, a field collection of 6 varieties of sheep fescue (Festuca ovina) and 35 varieties of red fescue (Festuca rubra s.l.) was used to assess the incidence of red thread (Laetisaria fuciformis) in the years 2004–2007. Whereas in the first crop years (2004–2005) disease incidence was very low and did not provide enough information about intervarietal differences, in the years 2006–2007 the levels of disease in the collection of red fescue varieties were very high. As sheep fescue varieties generally had high resistance red thread incidence was not recorded. In the collection of F. trichophylla varieties, Barpearl, Baroyal and Viktorka had high resistance (area damaged did not exceed 5%). They differed significantly from other varieties. Among the varieties of F. rubra ssp. rubra there was none with higher resistance (damage was 95%). In the collection of F. nigrescens the varieties Barborka and Citera had high resistance (damage was less than 10%) and differed significantly from other varieties of this species. There was no connection observed between disease incidence and experimental treatments (wear, cutting frequency). A hypothesis was confirmed that with low levels of fertilizer application there is considerable expression of this disease, especially in older stands and the selection of donors of resistance is optimal.