Which statement about cool season cultivators is true?

• A. They cannot be mixed to minimize disease.
• B. They can be mixed to minimize disease.
• C. They always require higher fertilizer rates.
• D. They are immune to disease.

Answer: (B)

Mixing cool-season cultivars can reduce disease problems because it introduces genetic diversity in the stand. Different cultivars have different susceptibilities and growth patterns, so a pathogen that targets one cultivar doesn’t spread as quickly through a mixed stand. This interrupting of uniform vulnerability helps keep overall disease levels lower and the turf more resilient. It’s not that cool-season cultivars are immune to disease or that they always require more fertilizer; nutrient needs vary with the cultivar and site, and no cultivar is completely disease-proof. So the true idea is that they can be mixed to minimize disease.