Reaction of Winter Malting Barley Cultivars and Breeding Lines to Foliar Diseases in New York, 2024

Foliar diseases of winter malting barley ( Hordeum vulgare) include scald ( Rhynchosporium commune), Stagonospora nodorum blotch ( Parastagonospora nodorum), spot blotch ( Bipolaris sorokiniana), and net blotch ( Pyrenophora teres). Symptoms include water-soaked to necrotic lesions with a distinctive brown margin (scald); yellowish to tan-brown, oval or lens-shaped lesions (Stagonospora nodorum blotch); small circular dark brown lesions with a chlorotic zone (spot blotch and spot form net blotch); and small dark brown lesions that develop into a net-like pattern (net form net blotch). This report evaluates a collection of 8 cultivars and 28 breeding lines for reaction to the foliar diseases. The trial was conducted in two field sites in Tompkins County near Ithaca, NY, in 2024. Results indicate differentiation of reaction to natural inoculum of the foliar diseases and identified lines with resistance to scald, Stagonospora nodorum blotch, and net/spot blotches that may be useful for breeding for foliar disease resistance.