Genetic diversity of barley accessions from East Asian countries in terms of resistance to powdery mildew

Abstract

Background. Barley is an ancient crop currently cultivated in more than 100 countries. High adaptability makes it possible to cultivate it in environments unfavorable for many other crops. At the same time, fungal diseases can have a negative impact on its grain yield and quality. One of the most harmful is the fungus Blumeria graminis (DC.) Golovin ex Speer f. sp. hordei Marchal. The pathogen can overcome a cultivar’s resistance, resulting in significant harvest losses. There is a need for a constant search for new effective sources of resistance to powdery mildew for barley breeding.Materials and methods. A set of 950 barley accessions from the East Asian center of the crop’s morphogenesis were studied at the adult stage of plant development. They were screened and crossed in the fields of Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR (St. Petersburg, Russia). Genetic control of barley resistance to B. graminis was analyzed in a climate chamber under artificial infection pressure with the northwestern population of the fungus. Scoring scales were used for screening.Results and conclusions. Weak development of B. graminis during the heading phase was observed on plants of 38 barley accessions from the East Asian center. High resistance at all stages of development was manifested by 20 genotypes that can be used in breeding programs. Resistance genes in 18 selected forms differed in their effectiveness at the seedling stage of development and during the heading phase. Accessions k-3433, k-10931, k-10934, k-11608, k-17545, k-20272, k-20279, k-20354 and k-27867 had one dominant resistance gene each. Accessions k-11608, k-12278, and k-17545 are protected by the identical gene, while the resistance of k-3433 is induced by a gene that differs from the genes present in accessions k-10931 and k-20279.