Question
I live in Birmingham, Alabama.  When I mow my Bermuda grass, a brown, rust
colored dust sized substance gets on the lawn mower and my shoes.  There
are a couple of areas in the lawn that appear to be drying up and not green
and that is where I think this is coming from.  Is this Rust / Smut Disease or
something else?  If so, what is the treatment to kill it before it spreads
thoughout the lawn?

Answer
Hi Jerry;
I have never experienced that, but there is a mold that infects grass that gives off black soot. Bet you have the same animal, just a different variety.
Apply 10 to 15 pounds of Horticultural Corn Meal per 1000 sq.ft, and water it in enough to wet it well and soak a little of the juice it makes, into the lawn.
That is the best organic fungicide there is, baking soda being just as good for disolving in the garden sprayer and treating roses and other flowers and shrubs.
You can also make a tea of the Agri. Corn Meal. Put a handful per gallon or two of water, leave for a half hour or more, and strain it, put it in a garden sprayer and spray shrubs etc with that.
You could also do that on the yard, but that would be very time consuming. Better to just broadcast the corn meal and water it.
Charlotte
PS. The corn meal you use in cooking is too refined, and has the husk, which is the horticultural corn meal, and that is what has the fungicide power.
Charlotte