Spores were detected on all days during the first week of June, albeit at lower numbers than observed during the latter half of May:

Both honeydew and sclerotia have been observed on Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass plots located at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center:

Protective fungicides should be applied at the onset of anthesis to protect unfertilized flowers from infection, and cultivars with prolonged flowering periods may require more than one application.

Please refer to the PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook for more information on fungicide options for ergot (https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/grass-seed-ergot), or contact Jeremiah Dung using the “Leave a reply” link above.