Which pair correctly matches a common warm-season turf disease with a non-chemical management tactic?

• A. Brown patch on bermudagrass — reduce leaf wetness and improve spacing
• B. Brown patch on bermudagrass — apply systemic fungicide
• C. Take-all root rot on bermudagrass — reduce leaf wetness
• D. Take-all root rot on bermudagrass — increase nitrogen application

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how cultural, non-chemical practices alter the environment to suppress a common warm-season turf disease. Brown patch is a fungal disease that thrives when leaf surfaces stay wet. By reducing leaf wetness and improving spacing to boost air flow, you help leaves dry faster and lower the humidity around the turf, which directly disrupts the pathogen’s ability to infect. That makes pairing brown patch on bermudagrass with reducing leaf wetness and better spacing the strongest non-chemical management approach.

The other options rely on chemical controls or pair the diseases with tactics that aren’t as effective. A systemic fungicide uses chemicals rather than cultural changes. Take-all root rot is typically managed by practices that reduce conditions the pathogen likes, such as controlling excessive nitrogen and improving drainage; increasing nitrogen can actually promote turf vigor and can worsen symptoms. So those pairings aren’t the best fit for non-chemical management.