By Lane Tredway, Ph.D., technical services manager for Syngenta

The traditional approach to fairy ring control was to wait for symptoms to appear and then make a curative fungicide application tank mixed with a soil surfactant. The problem is most research trials show curative fungicides to be ineffective on fairy ring. Once symptoms appear, the pathogen has already changed the soil’s chemical or physical properties. Thus, to cure fairy ring symptoms, soil conditions must be brought back to normal with cultivation, soil surfactants and irrigation.

One of the proven guarantee programs from Syngenta, the GreenTrust^® 365 Preventive Fairy Ring Guarantee, provides an effective solution for preventing this turfgrass disease. Features of the program include:

• Prevents fairy ring in creeping bentgrass, bermudagrass and seashore paspalum putting greens in the southern U.S., transition zone and Hawaii 
• Incorporates products such as Velista^®, Briskway^® and Posterity^® XT fungicides
• Controls not only fairy ring, but also other important diseases such as summer patch, take-all patch and mini ring

Applications should be initiated in the spring when soil temperatures reach 60 F (70 F in Florida) and repeated on a 28-day interval as directed by the program. To ensure you don’t miss the optimal timing, sign up for automated soil temperature-based alerts to be notified when soil temperatures are in the ideal range for your location. When making applications, keep in mind:

• All applications targeting fairy ring should be watered in immediately after application
• Tank mixing with a soil surfactant is not necessary unless fairy ring symptoms are already evident at the time of application

Curative fairy ring control measures

For existing fairy ring symptoms, cultural practices such as wetting agent application, cultivation and heavy irrigation are often necessary to correct the changes in soil properties brought about by fairy ring fungi. Curative fungicide applications can help stop further disease development and speed the healing process, but only when done in conjunction with these practices.

Velista and Briskway are top performers when it comes to these curative scenarios. The maximum label rate of Velista, 0.7 oz./1,000 ft.², performs best. Increased rates of Briskway, 0.9 to 1.2 fl. oz./1,000 ft.², are now approved and have provided curative fairy ring activity similar to Velista. With either product, two applications on a 14-day interval, tank mixed with a soil surfactant and watered in immediately, are recommended. Velista and Briskway are available as part of a convenient Multipak, which provides 10% savings on these products. Learn more at GreenTrust365.com/Multipaks.




For more information on protecting your course from fairy ring, visit GreenCastOnline.com/FairyRing or contact your local Syngenta territory manager.


All photos and videos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

© 2024 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties and/or may have state-specific use requirements. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration and proper use. Briskway^®, GreenCast^®, GreenTrust^®, Posterity^®, Velista^® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners.