Q&A With Lane Tredway

1 What is unique about Action brand fungicides?

Action™ brand fungicides, including Secure® Action, Daconil® Action and Heritage® Action, boost turf’s natural defenses to certain diseases and abiotic stresses like heat and drought. The “Action” indicates the addition of acibenzolar-S-methyl, which has a unique mode of action to trigger this increased protection and is the only active ingredient that belongs to FRAC Group P1.

2 How do Action brand fungicides work?

They enhance the plant’s defense against disease through a process called Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). This sends a signal throughout the plant to increase production of enzymes (PR proteins) that actively defend against invading pathogens. Through this process, Action products improve turf’s protection against several important diseases including anthracnose, dollar spot, Pythium blight and bacterial wilt.

Action products have many other physiological benefits that help to create a healthier, more vigorous turf. First, they enable the plant to better regulate their stomata, preventing uncontrolled water loss during periods of hot and dry weather. They also increase the production of proteins like dehydrins and heat shock proteins that protect plant cells from heat and drought stress. And finally, they increase production of enzymes involved in photosynthesis (RUBISCO and ATP synthase) to generate more energy for protection and recovery from the many stresses imposed on golf course turfgrasses including from aerification.

3 How can superintendents get the most out of Action products?

Action products show the greatest benefit when used preventatively, prior to the onset of disease pressure or stress. The physiological benefits of Action persist for two to three weeks, so regular applications throughout the season are recommended to maintain maximum benefit.

With three options to choose from – Daconil Action, Secure Action and Heritage Action – superintendents can incorporate Action products into their green, tee and fairway programs throughout the season. Agronomic Programs from Syngenta (GreenCastOnline.com/Programs) provide our best recommendations for how to use these fungicides most effectively based on extensive field research from across the country.

4 Can Action products be tank-mixed with other products?

Action products can be applied alone or as part of a variety of tank mixtures. For example, Appear® II fungicide is frequently mixed with either Daconil Action or Secure Action. These are great combinations for broad-spectrum control of foliar diseases on warm- or cool-season grasses. The phosphonate fungicide and pigment delivered by Appear II provides additional protection against diseases and abiotic stresses through their unique modes of action.

Heritage Action, meanwhile, is often tank-mixed with Divanem® nematicide for management of plant-parasitic nematodes and the fungal pathogens that are enhanced by nematode feeding. Compared to Divanem alone, the addition of Heritage Action consistently improves turf quality, root growth and recovery from nematode injury.

Finally, Action products can be mixed together with excellent results. For example, tank mixtures of Heritage Action with either Daconil Action or Secure Action have further increased drought tolerance when compared to a single Action product. Superintendents should consider these mixtures prior to periods of extreme stress, such as aerification, tournaments or weather anomalies.

5 What benefits can superintendents expect to see?

Golf course superintendents have observed many practical benefits from incorporating Action products into their programs. Improved control of difficult diseases like anthracnose, dollar spot and Pythium blight is often the most obvious benefit. When combined with proper cultural practices, Action products can help superintendents achieve higher-quality turf through periods of stress and enhance recovery after the stress subsides.

During the summer, many superintendents have observed reduced irrigation requirements and reduced afternoon wilting in cool-season grasses, helping to conserve water and reduce labor inputs. In warm-season grasses, programs including Action products have been shown to speed up recovery following aerification and also improve root growth in areas with high nematode populations.

For more information about the Action products from Syngenta, visit Condition PerformRecover.com/Action.

©2021 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. Divanem® is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Action™, Appear®, Daconil®, Divanem®, GreenCast®, Heritage® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Secure® is a registered trademark of Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, LTD. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.