Disease watch by DLF
As pesticide regulations tighten and climates shift, the need for disease-resistant turf varieties has never been greater. That's why we rigorously test and select grass varieties with strong natural resilience. By continuously developing new and more resistant grasses and tracking long-term disease trends through our annual surveys, we help our customers stay one step ahead. We build strong turf for the future.
Climate change and turf disease – A growing challenge
As global temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, turfgrass diseases are becoming more unpredictable and widespread. Warmer, more humid conditions create ideal environments for fungal pathogens to thrive. Diseases that were once limited to specific regions are now appearing further north and with greater frequency. This climate-driven shift is making disease control significantly more complex for turf managers across Europe and beyond.
Reduced pesticide use and sustainability goals
Stricter legislation and reduced availability of pesticides are placing new demands on turf management. Many turf managers are proactively reducing their chemical use in support of sustainability goals - a move that aligns with growing public and environmental expectations. However, this shift also increases the importance of disease resistance in turfgrass varieties.
Breeding for the future of turf
We are committed to help turf managers meet these challenges head-on. Through our ongoing pathology research, we test and monitor a wide range of varieties for disease resistance under diverse climatic conditions. We also observe disease occurrence in different years through comprehensive surveys, enabling us to respond to emerging threats with scientific precision.
Proven resistance with 4turf®
Our 4turf® varieties are prime examples of how advanced breeding can deliver strong, reliable disease resistance. These grasses offer excellent playing quality while reducing the need for fungicide applications - a win for both performance and a more sustainable choice. Choosing the right variety today means better turf, fewer inputs, and a more resilient landscape for the future.
Deepening your knowledge on turf diseases
At DLF, we understand that managing turf diseases starts with understanding the pathogens behind them. Plant pathogens are complex organisms, many of them highly specialized in attacking specific hosts — and they have evolved their strategies over thousands of years.
To support turf professionals in making informed decisions, we have developed a series of fact sheets focusing on the key diseases we screen for in our breeding programs. These fact sheets provide clear, practical information about each disease, symptoms and causal pathogen and the conditions that favor disease development.
While developing more disease-resistant varieties remains a major part of the solution, strong turf management also relies on understanding the biology of the threats you face. Our fact sheets are designed to help you strengthen both your turf and your knowledge.
And this is just the beginning — more fact sheets will follow, expanding your resources and deepening the insights available to support your turf success.
Partnering with end-users to build stronger turf
To create better turf solutions, it all begins with listening to the turf managers, who experience the challenges every day in the field. To strengthen this connection, we have launched an extensive disease survey across Europe, engaging turf managers from a wide range of sectors, including municipalities, sod producers, golf courses, and elite football stadiums.
The insights we gain from turf managers are critical. Understanding where specific diseases occur, which sectors are most affected, and how disease patterns are shifting geographically over time, is essential for shaping the future of turfgrass breeding. Without their input and knowledge, it would be impossible to develop varieties that truly meet the evolving needs of the industry.
Each year, turf managers from across Europe contribute to our survey, providing valuable data on disease occurrence, regional differences, and the specific challenges they face. These contributions allow us to better understand the complex relationship between turf use, environmental conditions, and disease prevalence.
By partnering directly with turf managers and users, DLF can continuously adjust and refine our breeding programs and variety screening processes. This ensures that the varieties we develop are not only high-quality and resilient, but also truly aligned with the practical demands and future challenges faced by our customers.
Together, we can build a stronger, healthier future for turf management.
Screening for disease-resilient turf
At DLF, we believe that creating healthier, more robust turf varieties starts with a deep understanding of turfgrass diseases. We invest significant resources in plant pathology research, studying disease characteristics, pathogen species complexes, and how they behave under natural conditions. This knowledge is fundamental to developing varieties that not only look good but also perform consistently under disease pressure in real-world environments.
Rigorous screening with diverse fungal genotypes
To ensure thorough testing, we expose a wide range of potential variety candidates to extreme stress conditions, including targeted disease challenges. Our disease screenings and inoculations deliberately use multiple fungal genotypes, providing a broader and more realistic evaluation of resistance levels. This increases the chances of selecting varieties that can withstand the diverse pathogen populations turf managers face across different regions.
Global testing across diverse environments
As a global organization, DLF harnesses the power of international collaboration. Breeding material is tested at multiple locations across several countries, exposing candidates to a range of climates, disease pressures, and pathogen strains. This multilocation testing ensures that selected varieties are resilient across various growing environments and are prepared to meet the needs of customers worldwide.
Scientific methods and expert collaboration
Our disease screening protocols are developed in our pathology group, using scientifically published methods as a foundation. Every step of our work aligns with international standards to ensure validity and relevance. Furthermore, we collaborate closely with external public and private research institutions, also drawing on their expertise to continuously develop, refine and validate our methods.
Combining natural and artificial screening
Our breeding programs integrate screenings under both natural field conditions and with controlled artificial inoculations. This dual approach allows us to balance scientific precision with real-world applicability, ensuring that the varieties we develop are practically effective in relation to disease resistance.Delivering varieties ready for the future
Through extensive research, rigorous screening, and strong partnerships, DLF brings disease-resistant turf solutions closer to the end-user. Our goal is to deliver varieties that combine excellent visual and functional quality with robust resilience - helping turf managers reduce inputs, maintain high standards, and meet the demands of a changing environment.