Any botanists out there? Help with some kind of black mould on my pasture grass.

by Veronica on November 30, 2010

in Garden

After a lot of rain this month, some of my grass has gone black and rotten.

All the googling in the world hasn’t helped me find out what exactly it is – things that sound like it, don’t have pictures and most things I found were dealing with lawn diseases, not pasture moulds.

Here it is – it’s black and very rotten. When I pull it apart it’s powdery and the black dust (mould spores?) stick to my fingers. You can see in one photo where it’s been bashing against the wall.

You can click the images to enlarge them, or mouse over for descriptions.

I need to find out how to eradicate it – if simply cutting the grass will work, how likely it is to spread and what else it might infect.

Ideas?

Pixie November 30, 2010 at 4:16 pm

dont know what it is….but it looks nasty………..

Veronica November 30, 2010 at 4:19 pm

It does, doesn’t it! I’ve been watching it for a week or so now, it’s all through the paddock, but only on 1 type of grass (there are 5-6 types through the paddock).

Fran November 30, 2010 at 5:25 pm

I will ask my husband – he is an agronomist so he usually knows about things like that 🙂

Veronica November 30, 2010 at 6:44 pm

Brilliant, thank you so much! Hopefully he knows what it is.

Fran November 30, 2010 at 7:41 pm

He has had a look at the pictures & thinks that it is probably sooty mould. He asked if there are an abundance of insects around as the mould may be growing on the excretions of the insects. (In which case, controlling the insects will help to control the mould.) He says that mowing the pasture will spread it so it would be better to leave it & wait for the weather conditions to change. (Weather conditions being the culprit.) It is apparently unlikely to kill the grass. It shouldn’t hurt any stock that might eat it. Hope that helps 🙂

Veronica November 30, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Thankyou and thanks heaps to your husband! There aren’t a great deal of insects around, the ducks are keeping the insects down heaps. I think it’s been the rainy/muggy weather we’ve been having.

Jean December 1, 2010 at 12:42 am

gosh, that does not look good. Hope it gets sorted soon XXX

Happy Elf Mom December 1, 2010 at 1:01 pm

Wow, sooty mould! That name makes a lot of sense as when I looked at the pics I thought, “That plant looks burnt.” 🙂

river December 2, 2010 at 9:19 pm

You’re back!! Your pages are loading for me again!
*happy dance*
Googling now.

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