WANTED ALIVE - Snow Mold Samples!

October 2020 

The Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) with support from the Western Canada Turfgrass Association (WTCA) is conducting a study to examine the ‘Efficacy of fungal biocontrol agents for the control of snow mold disease in turfgrass.’

This year, we are comparing treatments with two native beneficial fungal strains of Trichoderma, two commercial biological products (Root Shield Plus and a biostimulant Rhizovital) and a chemical product to control pink snow mold (Microdochium nivale) on the KPU teaching golf greens. 

Several fungal pathogens are responsible for snow mold.  As such, another of our project objectives is to survey and identify fungi that are the causal pathogens of snow mold disease on golf courses throughout British Columbia. Information on the prevalence and distribution of fungal species causing snow mold symptoms across BC golf courses will help us determine if Trichoderma strains that prove promising in the KPU trial could be useful for widespread snow mold control on BC golf courses. 

Collection of a snow mold sample from your golf course is easy!  We require a small core (around 2” wide) of turf grass along with the roots and soil from an area with snow mold disease symptoms.  This can be placed in a bag and sent to the Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, KPU. We will extract fungus from the root/soil sample and perform a genetic analysis to identify the fungal pathogen causing snow mold on your golf course. We will follow up to communicate our findings to you.  If you would like to participate please email Lisa Wegener at lisa.wegener@kpu.ca for further instructions. The cost of shipping samples will be covered by the WCTA research grant. 

Sincerely, 

Lisa Wegener,
Research and Laboratory Coordinator
Institute for Sustainable Horticulture
Kwantlen Polytechnic University