Black layer
Not a pathogen, it is a physical condition caused by anaerobic conditions.
Symptoms
Yellow, bronzed, or wilted appearance of the turfgrass. At severe conditions, thinning and death may occur. A black subsurface layer is visible in the soil profile.
Signs
Black layer can be identified by a black subsurface layer in the soil profile, and a rotten egg odor when the layer is exposed.
Biology
Not a living organism, it is a physical condition caused by anaerobic conditions in the soil.
Epidemiology
Black layer typically occurs in poorly drained areas, with high water table and heavy topdressing over thick thatch layers or compact soils. It is commonly found in golf course putting greens.
Cultural Management
Cultural control options for black layer include eliminating or maintaining a perched water table, avoiding excessive or continuous irrigation, decreasing soil compaction through techniques such as acidification, spiking, dryject, water injection, and tining, addressing poorly drained surface and subsurface drainage and reducing waterlogging, routine aerification and sand topdressing, avoiding application of elemental sulfur, sulfate fertilizers, or organic forms of nitrogen, spoon-feeding nitrate forms of nitrogen to temporarily increase the soil redox potential, and controlling algae invasions.
Further Reading
University extension resources — open in a new tab.
Related Reports
No published reports yet for this pest.
Reports will appear here as they are peer-reviewed and published.