What is characteristic of dead spots that reoccur and expand in the same area for 3 to 4 years in Bermudagrass?

Spring dead spot is characterized by dead spots that reoccur and expand in the same area over multiple years in Bermudagrass. This particular disease is a prominent issue in warm-season grasses, particularly in transitional zones. It typically manifests as circular patches of dead grass that can increase in size each growing season, reflecting a persistent underlying issue with soil pathogens or environmental stress factors.

Understanding the nature of spring dead spot requires recognition of the conditions that encourage its development. This disease is often associated with poor soil drainage, low nitrogen levels, and high soil temperatures during the summer months, which create favorable circumstances for the pathogenic fungi responsible for the condition.

In contrast, while leaf rust, red thread, and Pythium blight can also affect turfgrass, they do not typically present with the same long-term cyclical pattern of expanding dead spots in the same location over several seasons. Leaf rust appears as orange or rust-colored pustules on foliage and does not usually lead to the same type of soil-related decline. Red thread manifests as small, reddish or pinkish fibers on the grass but does not have the same reoccurring dead spot pattern. Pythium blight, while it can cause rapid and severe turf decline, usually occurs under specific wet conditions and