Lawn virus

Zoysiagrass is not known to be a host of this virus. Lawns also could be plugged with a less susceptible variety, but it would need to outcompete the 'Floratam' during the spring and summer season. To minimize disease spread in areas where the virus occurs, mowers and other equipment should be sanitized between properties.

The objective is to minimize movement of potentially infected plant material from lawn to lawn, so return clippings where the virus is known to occur rather than removing them from properties. Remove clippings and any other plant material from equipment before moving to another lawn, and then spray down parts of equipment or worker's shoes that have the potential to transfer plant sap using dilute bleach, quaternary ammonia Green-Shield , alcohol, or another sanitizing agent according to the directions.

When mowing multiple lawns where the virus is known to occur, mow apparently healthy lawns before those with mosaic symptoms, and avoid mowing symptomatic lawns when the turfgrass canopy is wet avoid mowing when dew, irrigation, or rainfall persists. Fungicides and other pesticides are ineffective and cannot stop development or spread of this viral disease. Also, there are no known agronomic inputs that homeowners or lawn care companies can use to cure a lawn once it has become infected.

The disease severity, which ranges from yellowing to death, will vary from lawn to lawn by variety of grass and by other environmental factors not well understood at this time.

One potential complicating factor is that lawns with mosaic may also suffer from fungal diseases, but it is not known what impact one disease has on the severity of the others.

Managing fungal diseases on lawns with mosaic has not been observed to impact development of the viral disease. Mosaic is just one of many diseases that may be causing problems on a lawn.

Manage other diseases through proper agronomic inputs and practices according to IFAS recommendations for your area. Home Experts Topics. History of the Disease on St. Augustinegrass in Florida Mosaic disease of St. Symptoms Mosaic disease symptoms occur on many plants, presenting as blotchy or streaky patterns of yellow and green color. Figure 1. Mosaic symptoms on leaf blades of St. Augustinegrass infected with Sugarcane Mosaic Virus.

Figure 2. The outbreak began in the fall of showing blotchy patterns of yellow and green on the grass blades. It progressed into a full necrosis and die-back and continued into the spring. Some of the lawns recovered but only to suffer the same fate this fall.

Only time will tell if these lawns will recover again. One of biggest issues is trying to contain the virus; the virus is spreading from lawn mowers and line trimmers. Photo: Phil Harmon.

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