Neil Packard relies on Ascernity fungicide from Syngenta to treat his largest problem

Eventually, all golf courses will experience different turf diseases, whether it be root rot, Pythium, or large patch. For many superintendents managing warm-season turf, large patch is not only an eyesore, but can also devastate Zoysia turf. This is true even at the prestigious Dallas National Golf Club.

Since the beginning of his career in the golf industry, Neil Packard, superintendent at Dallas National, has been battling large patch. Every spring, Packard was sure to see large patch all over the course. After trying product after product with little to no improvement, he reached out to one of his distributor reps — to ask what products they had that could tackle this problem. He introduced him to Ascernity^® fungicide, and Packard felt his eyes had been opened.

Neil Packard

“The main reason we wanted to test Ascernity fungicide was for Zoysia fairways. Previously we had been using other fungicides and didn’t see much improvement. Nothing was really working,” Packard says. “We started seeing more and more brown patch every spring. It was getting out of control. My distributor showed me what Ascernity could do. I needed something to work, and it worked very well.”

In the fall of 2020, Packard began using Ascernity and felt it was the first time they really gained control of the disease. In 2018, he switched products and found some relief, but noticed that large patch kept coming back.

“We are constantly looking for better, and that’s how we found Ascernity,” says Packard. “This year we honestly didn’t see any large patch. We did two applications last year and that completely controlled it.” 

Guarantee control with the Large Patch Assurance. Follow the prescriptive program developed by Syngenta experts, to guarantee control of Large Patch.*
Visit greencastonline.com/Assurance

Packard’s plan

Packard has a simple plan for controlling large patch: two applications of Ascernity on all 110 acres.

“We will make a fall application, usually when the temperatures start dropping, so late September or early October then a second application thirty days after,” Packard explains. “In the spring its mid to late March or early April. This year we didn’t see any disease and kept waiting and waiting and waiting until we were out of the patch weather. We didn’t see one single large patch after the Ascernity application.” 

Even on the tougher areas of turf along the course, Packard relies on the power of Ascernity.

“Our rough is always harder to control because it gets a lot patchier and stays a little more wet,” says Packard. “We used to have a really hard time controlling large patch on this area of Zoysia, and now we don’t have to work nearly as hard to get even better control.” 

For the technicians at Dallas National, using Ascernity for large patch treatment is one of the simpler additions in their arsenal. Packard has even been able to spray it along with his regular preemergent treatment with success.

“My favorite aspect about partnering with Syngenta would be just knowing that the products are good and they aren’t just filler,” Packard says. “Syngenta has products that work. Usually when you use a product, you want to see results. When you use Ascernity and you see nothing, that is the result. It’s sort of backwards, but the best outcome is no outcome. That means the product is killing the disease.”

Need a solution for cool-season turf? Ascernity delivers:
• An SDHI + the cooling DMI for control of more than 20 diseases
• Exceptional control of anthracnose, dollar spot, brown patch, gray leaf spot and even algae.

Keeping the customer happy

As the seasons have progressed without large patch, Packard has found that the players and guests are happier than ever. Before using Ascernity, it was likely Packard would receive complaints of large patch causing orange soft spots throughout the course. Since employing Ascernity, these complaints have been few and far between.

“When there’s no patch, the turf quality is night and day different,” Packard explains. “When the patch is there its soft, orange, weak and looks bad. When using Ascerntiy its consistent and sets us up for a better spring and fall. And when you have better quality turf, then the more compliments you get from the players and guests, even the board of directors. People tend to be happier when the grass is green.”

In the last five to seven years, Packard and the crew at Dallas National have been battling a particularly rough infestation of large patch in their Zoysia, but this year was different.

“This past year we just didn’t have it,” says Packard. “Ascernity has over performed. Whenever we tried different products in the past, I’d always have to go in the spring and spot-treat, hoping something helps. The fact that we didn’t have to make a spring application still blows my mind.”

For Packard, the peace of mind he receives from using Ascernity and partnering with Syngenta has completely changed the way he approaches handling turf problems. In the past, he would have to employ multiple products to pretreat and then spot-treat. Now, with the reassurance that Ascernity offers, he no longer has to prep for the works. He can instead focus on giving the players a better playing experience, which has made all the difference.

“When you can eliminate or control things in your control — like large patch on Zoysia — you can then focus your time on other things, which in turn makes the course even better,” Packard says.

Learn more at GreenCastOnline.com/Ascernity

#Time4Ascernity

*Terms and conditions apply. 

© 2022 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. Ascernity^®, GreenCast^® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Header Image: Dallas National Golf Club, Neil Packard

This page was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with Syngenta. NCM Content Marketing connects marketers to audiences and delivers industry trends, business tips and product information. The Golfdom editorial staff did not create this content.