St._augustine_decline

Sample of Palmetto St. Augustine grass with St. Augustine Decline infection.

St. Augustine Decline (SAD) is a common name for the effects of the panicum mosaic virus on St. Augustine grass. Infected grass develops a mottled or stipled appearance with small yellow patches. Affected grass usually dies within a few years of infection.

SAD is incurable. A common treatment is to introduce SAD-resistant grasses, which will take over as the affected grasses die out. Another treatment is to replace the sod and first few inches of topsoil.

SAD is found in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Raleigh, Floratam, and Seville are SAD-resistant varieties of St. Augustine grass. Palmetto is not SAD-resistant.

Resources

• St. Augustine Decline, Texas Cooperative Extension
• The Complex Viral Etiology of St. Augustine Decline

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