Modern varieties of spring barley as a genetic resource for disease resistance breeding

The large variation in net blotch resistance is observed among barley germplasm, but the range of European commercial cultivars of spring barley have various degree of susceptibility. This study was designed to test 150 West European ecotype spring barley varieties and breeding lines in the field for resistance to net blotch (Pyrenophora teres) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei) and to provide information for a successful resistance-breeding program in spring barley under Lithuanian conditions. The experiment was conducted at the Institute of Agriculture of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. The effectiveness of different methods of artificial inoculation was also tested. About 50 varieties with net blotch resistance level ranging from resistant/moderately resistant to susceptible were chosen for agro-biological trait evaluation. Increased net blotch infection had a negative impact on ear length, number of spikelets and number of grains in the ear in 2007. No significant effects on these traits were found in 2009, but increased net blotch level caused significantly lower grain weight per ear. Artificial inoculation using chopped straw of susceptible varieties is more likely to give desirable effects on infection level. The varieties ʹLuokeʹ, ʹOtisʹ, ʹAnniʹ, ʹLandoraʹ, ʹBeatrixʹ possessed the highest resistance to net blotch, and the varieties ʹMarnieʹ and ʹIsottaʹ exhibited good resistance to powdery mildew. The variety ʹAcrobatʹ was resistant to both diseases.